After winning a title with the Cavaliers in 2015-16, Tyronn Lue is out of a job six games into the post-LeBron James era, a source told ESPN.
The Cleveland Cavaliers fired coach Ty Lue on Sunday and plan to promote Larry Drew to interim coach, league sources told ESPN.
Cleveland has started the season with six straight losses.
Drew was meeting with management on Sunday morning to discuss terms of a promotion to interim coach, league sources said. It is possible he’ll seek a more permanent appointment. Drew was 8-1 as the interim coach a year ago when Lue was sidelined with illness. He led Atlanta to the playoffs in each of his three years as heads coach and spent one year at Milwaukee’s head coach in 2013-14.
Lue led the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals, including the 2016 NBA championship. He was 128-83 on the job. Cleveland’s ownership and management had hoped the team would compete for a playoff spot, although it may not be realistic with the hole the loss of LeBron James leaving in free agency left on the roster.
This was second time that James left Cleveland in free agency. The first time the Cavaliers went from 61 wins with James in 2009-10 to 19 wins without him the next season.
Sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that Lue recently had a disagreement with general manager Koby Altman over playing veterans. Altman preferred that Kyle Korver and JR Smith be taken out of the rotation to give time to younger players. After one game in which they didn’t play, Lue put both back in the rotation without consulting Altman.
Owner Dan Gilbert has also encouraged more playing time for rookie Collin Sexton, sources told Windhorst. Sexton is averaging just 23.5 minutes per game.
Lue is still owed roughly $20 million on the contract he signed in 2016 after the team won the title.
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was among players who thanked Lue on social media Sunday.
“You helped me see the big picture. Life changing experiences and teaching points,” Love posted on Instagram. “Nothing but love and admiration. Know we will work towards something greater together again. THANK YOU.”
The Athletic first reported Lue’s dismissal.
