NBA rumors: Tyronn Lue has interest from Clippers, Sixers, Rockets and Pelicans

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Lue is scheduled to interview for the job on Tuesday, according to multiple sources. One has to wonder if he thinks his meeting could just be a formality and/or insurance in case former Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, whose job it is to lose, doesn’t accept the job. Back on Aug. 25, the day after Brett Brown was fired, Lue was the prime candidate. He and the Sixers had mutual interest. The thought was that his recruitment for the job would pick up once the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs.
But it’s hard to criticize the Sixers for not hiring a qualified Black coach when, in fact, Brand, the person publicly in charge of leading the decision, is another Black male. Yet, as first noted Wednesday, this coaching search has been eye-opening for several league sources. The sources have said it’s hard to tell who’s in charge because of ownership’s earlier-than-expected involvement. Sources have been saying for weeks that the job is D’Antoni’s to turn down. They say he’s the guy the ownership group wants. One source even said the 69-year-old would have to bomb his interview with the Sixers owners not to be offered the job.
Now, word is leaking out that Brand is pushing hard for the Sixers to hire D’Antoni and that Embiid gave his blessing. According to multiple sources, Embiid is happy that he’ll face the basket instead of posting up in D’Antoni’s proposed five-out system. D’Antoni’s plan is to move Tobias Harris back to power forward. The Sixers will also make trades if he’s hired, according to reports. The expectation is that he’ll have a say in picking players for his freewheeling style of play.
Some are more skeptical that the interest is a two-way street. Multiple league sources who spoke with PhillyVoice have questioned whether D'Antoni is genuinely interested in the job or whether it's a leverage play to get a better deal elsewhere. There are other teams, most notably the Pacers and Pelicans, with rosters that better suit his style of basketball.
On Philadelphia's end, the interest appears legitimate. Ownership has long been a fan of D'Antoni dating back to his brief stint as an assistant on Brett Brown's staff.
Kevin O'Connor: Rumblings of Mike D'Antoni going to the Sixers have gotten much louder this past day. Nothing's final, I'm just intrigued since his preferred style isn't a fit for Philly's roster. It'd be weird. Would hiring him be a precursor to changes to modernize the team? MDA does love CP3.
Question: Any chance of getting Dawn Staley as the coach? — Deirdre Childress Hopkins from Facebook. Answer: First off, it’s great to hear from you, Deirdre, and thanks for the question. My colleague Marcus Hayes wrote recently that the Sixers should interview Staley because of her accomplishments as a player and a coach. I would hope that if the Sixers interview her that it just wouldn’t be for public relations reasons and that they would truly be considering her. I have been on record saying that I think the Sixers need somebody with NBA head-coaching experience, who can push Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and I still think they will go that way. That doesn’t mean that somebody like Staley wouldn’t work and she would be a fascinating hire. There is always a chance the Sixers could go this route, but I don’t think it will happen.
Even as his Clippers braced to face the Nuggets in the NBA’s Western Conference semifinals beginning Thursday, Rivers sounds like he’s rooting for Lue, and happy his assistant’s name is at the top of the wish lists for the Nets. And 76ers. And whoever else. “He’s been great. He’s been great. I’m glad it is. He deserves it,” Rivers said Wednesday via Zoom. “It’s a joke that he’s not a head coach, but it’s to my advantage that he’s not.”
Golden State Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown could be in the mix for the 76ers' head-coaching vacancy. A league source says communications are happening on that front. Will he get an interview? To be determined. The Sixers fired Brett Brown on Monday after seven seasons. The organization is looking for a veteran coach to push All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Tyronn Lue is a candidate for the Sixers job. Multiple sources have said Lue and the Sixers have mutual interest. Lue would bring an NBA-championship resume (Cavaliers, 2016). He also won consecutive NBA titles as a reserve guard for the Lakers in 2000 and 2001. His second title came against the Sixers.
The Sixers plan for a head coach will focus on LA Clippers assistant Ty Lue, sources said. Lue won a championship in 2016 as the Cleveland Cavaliers' head coach, and his ability to challenge and command the respect of high-level players makes him attractive to the Sixers -- and others -- in this job market.
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May 31, 2023 | 5:48 pm EDT Update
Aaron Gordon was an obvious answer, but one with a crowded path to that outcome. Gordon stood as one of the biggest attractions of that 2021 deadline, with the Magic deciding to tear down a core that featured Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier. Gordon had also requested a trade from Orlando, league sources told Yahoo Sports, with a large pool of teams, including Portland, Minnesota, Boston and Houston, pursuing his services from the Magic.
Aaron Gordon had a known fan in Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard. The Timberwolves were kicking around potential frontcourt fits next to Karl-Anthony Towns. The Celtics were high on Gordon dating back to his own entry into the 2014 draft. The Nuggets, though, were able to include Hampton, an uber-athletic guard whom Orlando, sources said, had strongly considered selecting the previous year, when the Magic ultimately drafted Cole Anthony No. 15 in November 2020.
A dearth of wing depth, though, revealed itself to Denver’s decision-makers in Jamal Murray’s absence. And as the 2022 trade deadline approached, the Nuggets discussed a three-team deal with the Wizards and Thunder, league sources told Yahoo Sports, which would have landed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in Denver. The framework, however, fell apart.
This time, Booth surrendered Morris, breaking a promise to him to give Caldwell-Pope and Denver at large another chance to compete for a banner. Booth had a specific vision for the offensive weapons he wanted at Jokić’s disposal. “You have to have positionless guys, guys who can contain the ball and make shots,” Booth told Yahoo Sports. “Everybody wants two-way players, but [Jokić] likes to play with guys who know how to play basketball the right way.”