Rumor: Tyronn Lue No Longer in Running for Philadelphia Coaching Position
LA Clippers assistant coach Tyronn Lue is no longer considered to be in the mix for Philadelphia's vacant head coaching position. Instead, former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers is expected to be the guy for the Sixers — and a deal could be imminent, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.
Rivers reportedly met with Philadelphia's ownership on Wednesday night and watched Game 1 of the NBA Finals with them, and there seems to be a good chance that the hire is announced as soon as this weekend.
As far as the Clippers are concerned, the franchise has to be happy with this news. Not only will Rivers be getting another job in the near future, but Lue now has one less option on the table.
Other franchises will surely be courting Lue, though. As it stands, the 76ers, Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets remain without a head coach.
He's emerged as a "strong candidate" to replace Rivers in LA, though the front office is planning to interview additional options soon, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
It remains to be seen how many candidates LA will consider. Jeff Van Gundy is supposedly one of them, and while Clippers assistant Sam Cassell hasn't emerged as a name just yet, it would be surprising if he wasn't in the mix.
That said, this is arguably the most important decision the franchise has had to make in its 50-year history. The Clippers have never been closer to winning an NBA title, and with only one guaranteed year of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George remaining, there isn't any margin for error.
Whether Lue ends up landing the job or not, this is going to be a thorough, drawn-out process — and rightfully so.
