Cavs owner: Coach Brown not fired

Fox Sports

Updated May 14, 2010 2:52 PM ET
Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert refuted an SI.com report Friday, saying that head coach Mike Brown had not been fired and that the team was going through an "evaluation" process.

Gilbert stopped short of definitively saying Brown would return as coach. "We're taking a long, deep, hard look at every key position of this franchise, from top to bottom," he said. "We'll be evaluating everything."

Gilbert spoke to the media Friday, one day after the Cavaliers were ousted from the playoffs in a Game 6 loss to the Boston Celtics. The early exit for the top-seeded Cavs has sparked widespread speculation about the future of the franchise. Superstar LeBron James is set to be a free agent.

Gilbert insisted he felt good about the team's chances to re-sign James.

"We feel this is the best franchise for him to play at," Gilbert said. "We'll do everything in our power to always attract great talent and keep great talent."

The Cavaliers had the second best record in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year, failing to make the NBA Finals on both occasions.