Rumors about Luke Walton’s job security with the Los Angeles Lakers have been around for months. They’re the sort of thing that, fairly or unfairly, follow teams that have LeBron James, and with the Lakers failing to make the postseason, the heat under Walton’s seat has been turned up to 11.
The most prominent name linked to the job, should it become open, has been Tyronn Lue, who coached James in Cleveland en route to a championship. Everything right now can be considered a rumor since Walton still has a job, but at the same time, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and right now, there’s a whole lot of smoke surrounding Walton’s future.
Lue, apparently, isn’t a big fan of all these rumblings, and made it a point to get in touch with Walton. According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, Lue let Walton know that he plans on keeping him abreast of anything that might happen between himself and the Lakers going forward.
Via The Athletic:
Lue recently called Walton to assure him that the Lakers had not contacted him about a potential head coach opening, a source close to the situation said.
The source said Lue told Walton that if he was contacted by someone in the organization he would let the Lakers coach know out of “courtesy and friendship.”
It’s a nice gesture by Lue, who learned first-hand during his time in Cleveland that being at the center of rumors about your job security can be really tough. Lue and Walton have been in touch about coaching James in the past, and now, the two are keeping in touch regarding who will be tasked with coaching him in the future.
