Tyronn Lue met with Houston Rockets executives to discuss the team’s head coaching vacancy this week, and it sounds like he made a very strong impression.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Lue has “gathered significant momentum” as a candidate for the Rockets job following Monday’s meeting. Lue is also considered one of the top choices for the Los Angeles Clippers, for whom he currently works as an assistant coach.
The Rockets know they are competing with the Clippers for Lue and could extend an offer before L.A. completes its coaching search, according to Wojnarowski. Houston wants to meet with Jeff Van Gundy before making a decision, and that meeting is expected to take place at some point this week.
Lue has interviewed with at least three teams for head coaching positions, so he seems almost guaranteed to land one. He reportedly has the support of star players with both the Rockets and Clippers, which is significant.
Lue coached the Cleveland Cavaliers for three-plus seasons, including their LeBron James-led championship team in 2015-16. The Clippers are the favorite to hire him for obvious reasons, but the prospect of coaching James Harden and Russell Westbrook in Houston must also be appealing to the 43-year-old.
