Tyronn Lue Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers, Tyronn Lue Reach Impasse

May 8th, 2019 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are at “an impasse” in negotiations with Tyronn Lue to be their next head coach, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Talks have stalled without an agreement for Lue to take over the team, even though he has been widely expected to get the job.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that negotiations have focused on contract specifics and the makeup of Lue’s coaching staff. The Lakers want him to add former Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd, who made a “strong impression” when he interviewed for the job and has shown an ability to develop young players.

The idea of having experienced assistants have always been important to Lakers management, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link), who adds that it was part of the reason there was friction with former head coach Luke Walton. A report yesterday said that Lue reached out to Tom Thibodeau about being his top assistant, but that pairing is considered unlikely to happen, even if Lue does get the job.

It’s not clear if Kidd is interested in taking on that role either, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. Kidd moved straight into a head coaching role after his playing days were over and has never worked as an NBA assistant.

In addition to Lue and Kidd, Lakers management also met with new Suns coach Monty Williams and Heat assistant Juwan Howard in their coaching search. L.A. never made Williams a contract offer before he signed with Phoenix, and there was “no concrete sense” that the team planned to, sources tell Charania.

Lue seems like a natural candidate for the Lakers because of his connection to LeBron James from their days in Cleveland, which included a championship and three straight NBA Finals appearances. However, Charania reports that James has told the front office he doesn’t want to be part of the coaching search and reportedly declined a request to speak to Williams about the job.

James intends his decision to be a sign of faith in management, Charania adds, and he is still committed to trying to get the team back into title contention. The Lakers are expected to be active on the free agent market, and the coaching decision will be among several factors that determines their success.

Stein’s Latest: Lue, Suns, Cavaliers

May 7th, 2019 at 8:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marc Stein’s newsletter is a must-read for all NBA fans and this week’s piece for The New York Times is filled with insight on this offseason’s coaching hires, among other nuggets. Here are the highlights from the piece:

Tyronn Lue, who is set to become the Lakers next coach, was not the unanimous first choice among the organization’s decision-makers, Stein hears. Some within the franchise worried about Lue aiding LeBron James‘ influence within the Lakers and Lue’s supporters were forced to wait until Monty Williams, who was hired by the Suns, was no longer available.
It appears Suns owner Robert Sarver wants to continue to have the loudest say over the team’s basketball operations. Sarver brought in Jeff Bower as an advisor this offseason without giving the executive any real decision-making power, Stein writes.
Phoenix hired Williams as its head coach in part because the front office hopes he can give the Suns a “strong voice and presence,” Stein adds. The organization envisions Williams establishing a winning culture and an improved reputation around the league.
The Cavaliers want to hire a young head coach who embraces analytics in an attempt to replicate Brooklyn’s rebuild under coach Kenny Atkinson and Atlanta’s setting with Lloyd Pierce. You can find our Cavaliers’ page here with the latest on their ongoing coaching search.

Tom Thibodeau Not Expected To Join Lakers’ Staff

May 7th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In late April, when the Lakers were interviewing candidates for their head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Tyronn Lue had inquired with Tom Thibodeau about becoming his top assistant in Los Angeles (Twitter link via Showtime Forum).

With Lue now seemingly poised to claim the Lakers’ head coaching job, Frank Isola of The Athletic confirms that the team’s interest in Thibodeau was real. However, the former Timberwolves coach is unlikely to join Lue’s staff.

As Isola details, in addition to Lue’s inquiry, LeBron James let it be known through intermediaries that Thibodeau would be a “huge asset” to the Lakers in a lead assistant role. But Thibodeau is still earning money from his Timberwolves contract and can afford to be patient as he seeks another head coaching job, Isola writes. That echoes what we heard from Woj, who indicated in the wake of his initial report that Thibs would prefer to wait for a head coaching opportunity (Twitter link).

Isola also points out that Thibodeau might be wise to take a “wait-and-see” approach with a team like the Lakers after dealing with an unstable management group in Minnesota.

While the Lakers aren’t expected to bring Thibodeau aboard, it sounds like another noteworthy former head coach may join Lue in Los Angeles. As we relayed on Monday, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Frank Vogel is a strong candidate to become the Lakers’ lead assistant, if and when the team officially hires Lue.

Lakers, Lue Working On Contract; Vogel Could Join Him

May 6th, 2019 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are in negotiations with Tyronn Lue to make the former Cavaliers head coach their new coach, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.

Lue has not yet accepted the job, as both sides are hammering out contractual parameters, Haynes continues. Former Pacers and Magic assistant Frank Vogel may become the lead assistant if Lue accepts the job, Haynes adds.

‪Kurt Rambis, currently an adviser to owner Jeanie Buss, has played a significant role in the hiring process.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that Lue was the Lakers’ top choice after Sixers assistant Monty Williams opted to become the Suns’ coach. LeBron James‘ former coach reportedly struck an emotional chord during the interview process. Juwan Howard and Jason Kidd were also interviewed for the position.

Pacific Notes: Williams, Johnson, Lue, Lakers, Clippers

May 5th, 2019 at 9:54pm CST by JD Shaw

The Suns made their final decision by hiring Monty Williams last week, but many new challenges await the veteran NBA coach, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes.

Williams, who will stay with the Sixers throughout their playoff run as an assistant, is inheriting a young roster with multiple lottery picks and a great deal of cap space to work with in free agency this summer. Among the greatest challenges with this franchise, however, remains Suns owner Robert Sarver.

In meeting with Williams and Suns general manage James Jones, Sarver promised to give Williams space and create a healthy culture within the franchise, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. However, this isn’t the first time Sarver has made this declaration.

“I’ve been blessed to coach alongside and play for some of the beast coaches in the NBA, and consider it a privilege to once again be a head coach with an excellent organization like the Suns,” Willams said as part of a larger statement about joining Phoenix. “It is a tremendous opportunity with a talented group of players and a loyal fan base. I will be very excited to get to the valley, connect with our team and get to work.”

Having an experienced roster, lack of talent in the Western Conference and the threat of Sarver interfering could cause challenges for Williams, but many around the NBA have expressed confidence in his ability to turn around the Suns.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division tonight:

Suns guard Tyler Johnson had his 2018/19 season review published on NBA.com last week, outlining his final stats, highlights and more. Johnson was acquired by Phoenix from Miami before February’s trade deadline, being thrown into the young, hungry group more than halfway into the season.“It definitely pushed my comfort zone,” Johnson said. “It’s not something I was used to as far as being vocal. In past years, I had always been with somebody who led by example and come in and be professional and make sure I was getting my work done. Now, I’m worried about other guys and making sure they’re on top of their stuff as well. It definitely opened up by mind to a whole new set of possibilities.”
The Lakers would theoretically give LeBron James the keys by hiring Tyronn Lue as head coach, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes. James won his third NBA championship playing under Lue with the Cavaliers in 2016, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Warriors. The two share a close relationship and have great admiration for one another, a big reason why the Lakers could look to finalize a deal with Lue as early as this week.
This summer’s free agency period will largely determine the futures of the Clippers and Lakers for years to come, Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register writes. Both franchises could pursue the top players available on the open market, including Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.

L.A. Notes: Lue, Lakers, Nance, Clippers

May 3rd, 2019 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are seemingly poised to make Tyronn Lue their new head coach, as his representatives and the team are expected to touch base today to try to get a deal done, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

According to Turner, Lue has been the Lakers’ top choice throughout the process. Although Monty Williams was in contention as well, Williams’ decision to accept the Suns’ job didn’t change the Lakers’ plans — it just made them decide to act now, tweets Tania Ganguli of The L.A. Times.

Selecting Lue as Luke Walton‘s replacement figures to inspire plenty of skepticism and snark, given his ties to LeBron James, but sources tell Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link) that neither James nor agent Rich Paul told the Lakers whom to hire. Of course, the fact that LeBron would welcome a reunion with Lue, as Vardon notes, was certainly a strong point in Lue’s favor, but the former Cavs coach also received an endorsement from Phil Jackson and impressed the Lakers with his X’s-and-O’s knowledge, tweets Turner.

Here’s more on the NBA’s two L.A. teams:

Responding to a report that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka assured him he wouldn’t be going anywhere before trading him to Cleveland, Larry Nance Jr. tweeted this week to say “that is not the case.” According to Nance, “Rob and I had and still have a great relationship.”
Sean Deveney of Sporting News takes an extended look at the Clippers‘ upcoming offseason, including exploring the team’s potential dream scenario: Signing both Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard in free agency this summer.
After his team dispatched the Clippers in the first round, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr raved about his opponents, suggesting it won’t be long before the Clips go from playoff upstart to bona fide contender. “I love their future,” Kerr told Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I think it’s great for the league and I’m happy for their franchise.”
Earlier today, we broke down the Lakers‘ cap situation heading into the 2019 offseason.

Lakers Expected To Offer Head Coaching Job To Tyronn Lue

May 3rd, 2019 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

1:07pm: The Lakers have no plans to introduce new candidates into their head coaching search, and are proceeding toward making an offer to Lue in the coming days, per Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

12:03pm: As of Thursday afternoon, Lue still hadn’t heard back from the Lakers since his second interview last week, but the team is expected to reach out to him soon in an effort to hire him, per Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

11:16am: With Monty Williams on the verge of officially signing a five-year contract with the Suns, the Lakers can cross another name off the list of candidates for their head coaching job. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), there’s an expectation now that Los Angeles will move forward in the process with Tyronn Lue. However, the club has yet to formally make him an offer, Woj notes.

Although the Lakers also interviewed Juwan Howard and Jason Kidd, Lue and Williams appeared to be the strongest candidates for the job throughout the search process. Lue and Williams each met with the Lakers for follow-up interviews after their initial meetings.

A report last week indicated that Lue, who turns 42 today, struck an “emotional chord” during his interviews with the Lakers. He began his playing career as a Laker and won a pair of championships with the franchise, giving him a background with the organization.

Of course, Lue also has a strong familiarity with current star LeBron James, having coached LeBron and the Cavaliers to the team’s first-ever NBA championship in 2016.

During his time as the Cavs’ head coach, which spanned two full seasons and parts of two more, Lue posted a 128-83 (.607) record in the regular season, along with a 41-20 mark in the playoffs.

Tyronn Lue Strikes ‘Emotional Chord’ In Lakers Interview

April 27th, 2019 at 11:39am CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers‘ search for a head coach has entered the next phase and the frontrunners are clear. Four known candidates for the vacancy were interviewed, including former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams, Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard and Jason Kidd.

This week, both Lue and Williams were called in for follow-up interviews. Lue, in particular, resonated with Lakers brass during his meeting, playing up his history as a player for multiple championship-winning teams in Los Angeles, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

“Ty Lue struck a very emotional chord in his interview with Lakers leadership,” Charania said. “Diving into his history as a player and how responsive he is with that franchise over the last decade.”

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times provided a similar account, citing sources who said a “lasting impression was left on both parties involved in the discussions.”

Lue, 41, led Cleveland to the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship in 2016 and has a strong familiarity with the Lakers’ top player, LeBron James. Lue also spent his first three NBA seasons in Los Angeles as a player, which gives him a background with the organization.

Lue is not the only one with a connection to as James, as Williams spent a lot of time with the forward on Team USA. It remains to be seen in which direction the Lakers go to replace Luke Walton.

Lakers Schedule Second Interview For Tyronn Lue

April 23rd, 2019 at 11:20am CST by marksuleymanov

APRIL 23: Lue will have his second interview with the Lakers on Wednesday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. As noted below, this meeting will involve Buss in addition to Pelinka.

The team’s second interview with Williams is expected to happen later in the week.

APRIL 20: As the Lakers progress with their search for a new head coach, Tyronn Lue will be among those brought in for a second interview, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin report (Twitter link).

Lue, who led the Cavaliers to a world championship three years ago, interviewed with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Friday. As Wojnarowski and McMenamin note, that meeting was held with the purpose of both sides getting to know one another, and setting up a second interview with owner Jeanie Buss.

Los Angeles met with Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams earlier in the week and is also expected to receive a second interview. As we relayed on Friday, the Lakers will also meet with Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard.

After three seasons at the helm, Luke Walton was dismissed by the Lakers at season’s end. He has since latched on with the Kings as their new head coach.

Lakers To Interview Juwan Howard

April 19th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

APRIL 19, 9:45pm: The Lakers will meet with Howard on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

APRIL 14, 2:28pm: Members of the Lakers’ front office will travel to meet with Williams sometime after Game 2 of the Sixers’ playoff series, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

APRIL 14, 2:14pm: The Lakers have received permission to talk to Heat assistant Juwan Howard about their head coaching vacancy, tweets ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. An interview will probably take place next week, she adds.

Howard is the third name to appear in the Lakers’ coaching search since they parted ways with Luke Walton on Friday. L.A. also plans to discuss the job with former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue next week and has gotten permission from the Sixers to interview assistant coach Monty Williams.

Earlier today, we told you that Howard and Jamahl Mosley will interview to replace Larry Drew in Cleveland