Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is facing some uncertainty about his future amid failing contract negotiations this summer. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the two sides have made no progress toward extending their partnership.
“The Clippers have a lot of questions,” said Shams on ‘Up & Adams’. “Like Tyronn Lue and what happens with his contract extension. They want to extend him but to my knowledge right now there hasn’t been any progress in those conversations.”
No extension for Ty Lue yet? 👁️ pic.twitter.com/qAWMmV1L8K
— AJ° ™ (@AJsHoopHype) May 21, 2024
After joining Doc Rivers’ staff in 2019, Lue served for months as the top assistant before his promotion to head coach after the failed 2020 campaign. From his previous run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he led them to the championship in 2016, Lue had a glowing reputation in the industry and was widely seen as one of the top candidates available at the time.
Lue made an almost right away as the head coach. In his first season at the helm, he led the Clippers to a top-four record in the West and took them to the Western Conference Finals — farther than they had ever gone before.
Since that feat, the Clippers have yet to have a breakthrough. In fact, over the past few years, the franchise has been more of an afterthought than anything and this past season was no different.
Even with James Harden, the Clippers dropped the ball and now the team is set to re-evaluate its position in the coming offseason. Unless Paul George or Kawhi Leonard demands a trade, it’s likely to be Lue who is one odd man out, and his stalled extension talks are the perfect excuse for them to consider someone else for the job.
Tyronn Lue Sweepstakes Will Be Hot
Tyronn Lue is widely considered to be one of the best coaches in the game. Moreso than most, he has a way of speaking and connecting with players that can inspire them to greatness. In a now legendary story, for example, he collected some money from each of his Cavs players and stuck the stash in the ceiling of Oracle Arena after Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
While there aren’t as many stories with the Clippers, Lue has directly been involved in their most prosperous era to date and many teams across the league believe he can do something similar for them.
The Lakers, in particular, have much to bring from hiring a guy like Lue. Besides his skills as a win-now coach and his championship experience, he has ties to LeBron James that go back to arguably the best stretch of his career. While the frontrunner is still JJ Redick, Lue could become a very real choice for them if he becomes available anytime soon.
Another potential Lue team is the Cleveland Cavaliers. While J.B. Bickerstaff is still on the job, much doubt has been cast on his future after another early playoff exit. Lue’s return to the Cavs could help elevate them to another level and it might just convince Donovan Mitchell to stick around.
Whatever the case, Tyronn Lue has a long future in the NBA. Whether it’s with the Clippers or some other team, he’s not going to be without a head coaching job for long and it seems like only a matter of time before he’s on the winning side of another championship run.
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