The Los Angeles Clippers are in the market for a new head coach for the first time since 2013. The team parted ways with longtime coach Doc Rivers following a disappointing postseason exit in which the team blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. It was not the first time a Rivers-led Clippers squad failed to make the conference finals after having a leg up on the opposition, and with the expectations that existed in L.A. this year, the organization decided to go in a different direction.
Rivers seems like he could land on his feet pretty quickly, as he’s suddenly a leading candidate for the Philadelphia 76ers’ vacancy, while the Clippers’ search is taking shape. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Tyronn Lue, who has been linked to the job, is quickly emerging as one of the top candidates to take over.
The Sixers also interviewed Clippers assistant Ty Lue this week, sources said, but Lue is emerging as a strong candidate to replace Rivers with the Clippers. The Clippers are planning to interview other candidates, starting soon, sources said.
Lue, who has a career 128-83 record, famously has only served as a head coach one other time before. He took over at the helm of the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the 2015-16 season and led them to a championship, then helped them get to two consecutive NBA Finals after that. He was fired following a slow start to the team’s first year after LeBron James left to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite coming close to taking the Lakers’ head coaching job prior to this season, the two sides could not come to terms, and instead, Lue joined Rivers’ staff as an assistant.
