The Los Angeles Lakers are in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Darvin Ham, and they have been connected to Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue in rumors.
However, if the Lakers are hoping to talk to Lue this offseason, the Clippers may get in the way.
“The Clippers know they can’t upgrade on Lue,” wrote Sam Amick and Law Murray of The Athletic. “They didn’t extend him last offseason, though they guaranteed the last year of the five-year contract he signed in 2020 to succeed Doc Rivers as head coach. Other teams were blocked from talking to Lue. According to team sources, that would be the case again if teams attempt to pry him away this offseason. Lue has already been tied to the Lakers’ vacancy, and his stellar reputation as a title-winning coach means he’d likely be in the running for any job that becomes open.”
Lue’s Clippers were just eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and although the organization hasn’t reached the NBA Finals under his leadership (or at any point in franchise history), the Clippers clearly still value him.
Lue has a strong coaching resume that includes a 2016 NBA title, a feat he accomplished alongside LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers. One NBA executive recently indicated that James would love to have Lue as his coach on the Lakers.
If the Lakers are unable to land Lue, they’ll have to scratch him off their wish list, with other names like J.J. Redick and Mike Budenholzer perhaps being candidates worth monitoring.
The Purple and Gold were eliminated in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets after losing to the same team in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. L.A. has some work to do this offseason in order to improve its standing in the title conversation.
James’ future has also been a topic of conversation, though it seems likely that he’ll ultimately stay with the Lakers. The future Hall of Famer is 39 years old, and assuming he plays next season, it will be his 22nd year in the NBA. He’s still trying to win his fifth NBA title.
No matter what, the Lakers will have a new look next season — but exactly who will be running the show remains to be seen. The Clippers, evidently, could have a hand in the way the offseason unfolds for the Lakers.
