Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue appears to be a strong contender to take over as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, replacing his mentor Doc Rivers.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojanarowski appeared on “Get Up” and was asked about whether the Clippers were ready to consider hiring Lue.
“It is not about to happen, they’re going to do a search in L.A.,” said Wojnarowski. “Steve Ballmer hasn’t done one as owner there. He would like to do a search. He would like to go out and talk to candidates, but Ty Lue is in a strong position there. He is well-regarded within that organization, but he’s also got other interviews. I’m told he’s going to meet with New Orleans soon. Houston wants to talk to him. So Ty Lue, I think, one way or another, has a very good chance to be back in the league as a head coach next year.”
Lue nearly became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers last year, but instead ended up choosing to serve as an assistant for the Clippers under Rivers.
The Clippers were expected to be strong contenders for this year’s NBA title, but were upset in the second round of this year’s NBA playoffs. After blowing a 3-1 advantage in their series to the Denver Nuggets, the Clippers and Rivers parted ways.
Lue’s only previous head coaching experience was with the Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018, with Lue taking over midway through the 2015-16 season and leading the Cavs to the franchise’s first-ever title.
After Lue helped to get the Cavaliers back to the finals in each of the next two seasons, the departure of LeBron James brought about a rebuilding plan for the team.
Lue didn’t last long in that situation, with front office conflicts ending his time with the Cavaliers just six games into the 2018-19 season.
While Lue appears to be a top candidate for the Clippers’ job, his sense of loyalty to Rivers may cause him to take another job elsewhere. However, it appears almost certain that Lue will once again be leading an NBA team when next season tips off.
