Lakers Rumors: Tyronn Lue Informed Luke Walton He Has Not Been Contacted About Head Coaching Job

Dan Duangdao
2 Min Read
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

With less than 10 games in the 2018-19 NBA season, much of the attention has been on Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton’s future with the storied franchise.

Although injuries completely derailed Year 1 with LeBron James and the young core, there have been multiple reports about the Lakers firing the third-year head coach.

Whether it is fair or not, those in Walton’s current position are usually scapegoats with Los Angeles missing the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

As there are already potential candidates like former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd and former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly reached out to Walton, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic:

If Walton is ultimately fired, Lue is certainly a name to watch. Along with playing for the Lakers for three seasons, Lue coached LeBron James where they won one championship in three consecutive NBA Finals appearances against the Warriors.

Regardless of what happens, it is important for president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager to construct a roster that puts Walton or the next head coach in a position to succeed. While the Lakers surrounded James and the young core with ‘tough-minded’ playmakers, it became apparent they needed shooters instead.

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Dan Duangdao was the managing editor at Lakers Nation (2013-16, 2018-20). He is currently the founder at LA Sports Media, Lake Show, Raiders Nation, Rams Nation, Kings Nation, Galaxy Nation, and MMA Rumors. Born and raised in Southern California and a lifelong Los Angeles sports and mixed martial arts fan, his first NBA game was Kobe Bryant and the Lakers against the Golden State Warriors with Michael Jordan in attendance during the 1998-99 NBA season. He was previously a contributor at HOOPSWORLD (now Basketball Insiders) and an NBA editor at ClutchPoints. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @DanDuangdao.