Tyronn Lue announced on Monday that he is taking a leave of absence from the Cleveland Cavaliers to focus on his health, but the coach is reportedly hoping to be back on the bench in time for the postseason.
Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the plan as of now is for Lue to return to the Cavs “well before the start of the playoffs.” The team is hoping he will be out days rather than weeks, with the postseason set to start in less than a month.
Lue, who missed the second half of Saturday’s game because he felt ill, has been dealing with chest pains and other symptoms. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin cited one example of what the 40-year-old has been going through.
Key statement from Ty Lue: "I have had chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep, throughout the year." Team source told ESPN, for instance, that when CLE returned from its road trip, Lue did not fall asleep until 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 19, 2018
Wojnarowski adds that Lue has considered leaving the team on at least two other occasions this season. The first was early on, but he did not want to give off the impression that he was taking time off because the team was losing so many games. The second was near the trade deadline, but Lue did not want to leave immediately after a roster overhaul.
The Cavs are 40-29 and have lost seven of their last 13 games. Lue had a tense exchange with LeBron James during a game last week.
