Report: No Progress Between Clippers, Tyronn Lue On Extension; Lakers Monitoring Situation
According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Los Angeles Clippers and head coach Tyronn Lue have made no progress in extension talks.
Lue has one year left on his contract.
A source told Hoops Wire that the Los Angeles Lakers are closely monitoring Lue’s situation with the Clippers.
The Lakers will not hire a new coach until they know for certain that Lue won’t be available.
Lue and Lakers superstar LeBron James have a close relationship. They won the 2016 championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron wanted the Lakers to hire Lue in 2019. However, LAL hired Frank Vogel.
According to Charania and Jovan Buha, the Lakers are “infatuated” with JJ Redick’s potential. LAL has held formal meetings with Redick, James Borrego and Sam Cassell.
The Lakers view Redick as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect.
“Leaguewide, Redick — a former player and media analyst — has garnered buzz for the position,” Buha and Charania wrote. “The Lakers are infatuated with Redick’s potential, according to league sources, viewing him as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect who could both help the franchise in the short term and lead it for years. Riley, a nine-year NBA veteran as a player, was a broadcaster for the Lakers from 1977 to 1979 before making the leap to assistant coach in 1979 and then eventually head coach in 1981.”
While Redick and LeBron co-host the podcast “Mind The Game,” LeBron is staying out of the team’s coaching search. The leading scorer in NBA history can become an unrestricted free agent this summer by declining his 2024-25 player option worth $51.4 million.
If Lue doesn’t become available, the Lakers are widely expected to hire Redick, who will call the NBA Finals this year for ESPN with Mike Breen and Doris Burke.
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