NBA Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers And Tyronn Lue Reportedly Have ‘Mutual Interest’ In Head Coaching Vacancy
A new report suggests that the Philadelphia 76ers might be considering erstwhile Los Angeles Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue as a replacement for head coach Brett Brown, who was fired by the team on Monday.
In a Twitter post shared Monday afternoon, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix noted there is “mutual interest” between Lue and the Sixers. While he added there are other teams who might show interest in the former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, the writer stressed that Philadelphia “could have an inside track.” Readers can view his tweet here.
In addition, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that the Sixers’ search for a new head coach will “focus” on Lue, who won a championship when he led the Cavaliers to an NBA Finals win over the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Wojnarowski detailed that the 43-year-old is the type of coaching candidate whose “ability to challenge and command the respect of high-level players” appeals to Sixers management, as well as other teams with similar vacancies.
Aside from Lue, Philadelphia is reportedly interested in Villanova’s Jay Wright, who coached the Wildcats to two national championships. Wojnarowski suggested the organization’s search for Brown’s replacement will likely include more candidates in the coming days.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Lue has also been linked to teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans, who fired Alvin Gentry earlier this month following the team’s failure to make the postseason.
Talking about the pros and cons of hiring Lue, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia also mentioned his championship credentials, as well as his other accomplishments in Cleveland, including the two Eastern Conference titles he won in 2017 and 2018 before falling to the Warriors in those years’ NBA Finals. He added that Lue has also spoken in the past about wanting to work with younger players, which he would be able to do on a Sixers team featuring two youthful stars — 24-year-old Ben Simmons and 26-year-old Joel Embiid.
“Another factor in Lue’s favor is that he seems to get along well with his players and understand where they’re coming from,” Levick continued. “At the same time, he aims to enforce certain standards.”
On the other hand, the NBC Sports writer suggested that it remains to be seen whether Lue has the “ingenuity” to deal with the Sixers’ primary issues, including their over-reliance on Embiid as a post-up scorer and, in relation to this, their lack of spacing on the floor.
