The 2016 NBA champ will be in high demand on the coaching market, and he could be bringing another title-winning point guard with him.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — When Tyronn Lue turned down the Los Angeles Lakers coaching job a year ago, there were those telling him he had made the mistake of a lifetime. LeBron James was on board, Anthony Davis on the way and walking on an offer seemed shortsighted. To Lue, it was a stand on principal: He believed three consecutive Eastern Conference championships and an NBA title with Cleveland earned him more than three guaranteed years on a contract. If the Lakers wanted less financial exposure on a longer-term deal, the LA Clippers considered the hiring of Lue to Doc Rivers’ coaching staff to be a short-term boon to their championship hopes. Clippers president Lawrence Frank and Rivers had Boston Celtics history with Lue, and believed he offered the Clippers one more measurable asset in the arms race with the Lakers. The Clippers created a spot, treating Lue as a talent acquisition in area unpoliced by a salary cap. Once again, there are star-powered job openings in the NBA — including Brooklyn — and younger, talented rosters in New Orleans and Chicago. Based upon the playoffs, there are potential vacancies in Philadelphia and Houston. In all except for Chicago, Lue looms as a candidate. In most instances, NBA coaching hires are shaped by the formation of rosters and the complicated dynamics of the stars driving them. Lue resonates with the uber-talented franchises whose major talent require a commanding, pedigreed presence to register respect. Here’s something else that makes Lue’s candidacy even more intriguing to contenders: Teams are aware that Lue has been talking with Chauncey Billups about joining his potential staff as an associate head coach, sources tell ESPN.
