Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach and current Los Angeles Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue has been making the rounds in search of his next opportunity.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Lue interviewed for vacancies with the Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans over the weekend. He will also interview with the Houston Rockets later this week, Stein added.
Lue has been a hot commodity in coaching free agency since before the Clippers’ season unceremoniously ended in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. He had been up for the Philadelphia 76ers’ job — but that went to Doc Rivers, who Lue assisted with the Clippers last season.
Rivers was bounced in LA before ending up in Philly.
But the Clippers reportedly are still high on Lue, who coached the Cavs to their lone championship in 2016.
It’s hard to say who wants Lue the most. Pelicans chief of basketball operations David Griffin was GM of Cavs when they won a title, so their is definitely a strong bond between Griffin and Lue.
Star-studded teams such as the Clippers and Rockets also like how Lue is familiar with coaching big-time players and personalities. All-Stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, of course, were members of the Cavs’ title team.
The Clippers boast a pair of stars in forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and the Rockets do the same in guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
That said, the Clippers, Rockets and Pelicans are expected to interview a wide array of candidates. But the one thing that remains very clear is Lue is undoubtedly in the mix for all of those openings.
