76ers Have Competition With Rockets for Ty Lue's Services

If the Philadelphia 76ers still want Ty Lue as bad as it seemed they did weeks ago, well, then they've got some solid competition to go up against. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Ty Lue is a "serious candidate" for their recently vacant head coach position.

Just last week, the Los Angeles Clippers assistant was helping Doc Rivers lead a Western Conference playoff run. Unfortunately, the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets by Game 7.

While the results of the Clippers' failed championship run doesn't look great for Lue, it didn't exactly kill his status as a top head coaching candidate on the market. For about a month now, Lue has been linked to multiple organizations as the former Cavaliers head coach is looking for his next opportunity to become a leader of a franchise.

Before the Houston Rockets moved on from Mike D'Antoni after four seasons, the Sixers seemed like the favorites to land Lue as a head coach. Since they're looking for a coach who can handle multiple stars on one roster and he gained experience in doing so back when he coached the Cavs, it seemed inevitable Lue would end up in Philly.

But since a James Harden, Russell Westbrook-led Rockets team is now in play, the Sixers have some tough competition. The good news for Philly is that they've got multiple candidates available with a mutual interest in D'Antoni and Billy Donovan. If Lue is their top guy, though, they could end up in a bidding war with the Rockets as Houston's list of preferred candidates hasn't included anybody besides Lue lately.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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