The Lakers are still without a head coach after they parted ways with Luke Walton earlier this offseason, but they are steadily moving closer to a move that many have felt is inevitable for some time.
Tyronn Lue is expected to become the next Lakers head coach, long considered a frontrunner for the job and now very much at the top of the ladder with Monty Williams headed to Phoenix. Lue’s history with LeBron James and as a member of Lakers title teams made him an easy connection to the job, but there’s reportedly been some hesitancy on the Lakers part to make the move.
Those at the top of the Lakers organization have had concerns that hiring Lue would indicate to fans that LeBron is making decisions for them, and as such has led them to wonder if they should look to go in another direction. However, it would appear now that they are moving ahead with plans to bring Lue on board, as Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports the two sides are in the process of working on a contract.
According to Haynes, Lue has not accepted the job, but they are working on putting parameters in place to make a deal happen soon. The most interesting nugget from the report is who Lue would reportedly target as his lead assistant.
If Lue takes the job, Frank Vogel — former coach of the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic — could join his staff as a lead assistant, sources said.
Vogel would bring another veteran voice to the bench, as well as a defensive minded approach that the Lakers do seem to need after their struggles this season. Lue, for as much heat as he took at the end of his tenure in Cleveland, did make improvements to the Cavs from when he took over to when they won the title and it’d be hard to find a coach outside of Erik Spoelstra with a better history working with LeBron.
This report comes on the heels of Lue celebrating his birthday with a Lakers cake made for him by friends.
Tyronn Lue to the #Lakers 🤔 #NBA #LeBronJames pic.twitter.com/56h9hnLZtP
— HOODMANIA (@HoodVisuals_) May 5, 2019
