Tyronn Lue remains a coaching free agent after he and the Lakers failed to reach an agreement to bring him to L.A. as head coach.
Lue scoffed at the Lakers offer, and understandably so, refusing to take a three-year deal that so clearly was meant to line up his departure with LeBron James’. There aren’t any head coaching jobs currently open, so it stands to reason that Lue will continue to sit out for some time, but if he decides he’s willing to take an assistant job there are some ready and waiting for him.
The Houston Rockets recently let go of much of their coaching staff and have many vacancies to fill, and according to Shams Charania of the Athletic, they would love to fill one of those with Lue as a lead assistant. They aren’t alone in hoping to bring Lue in as a well-compensated assistant, however.
The Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans have pursued former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue as a lead assistant, but Lue’s focus remains on a return to the NBA in a head coaching role, league sources told The Athletic.
The Pelicans are now run by Lue’s former boss, David Griffin, and the two have a strong relationship, but for now it seems as though Lue will wait it out until a head coaching job opens up. The question Lue must ask himself going forward is whether the jobs likely to open up soon are the ones he would like to take, or if he’s better off taking a lead assistant role on a better team while he seeks a head job.
