Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue will be back on the sidelines in 2019-20 after agreeing Tuesday to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.
Lue will be a top assistant under head coach Doc Rivers.
This ends a wild offseason for Lue, who seemingly had a chance to become head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.
When former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams dropped out of the mix in L.A. to take the Phoenix Suns‘ job, Lue seemed like the clear front-runner. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the two sides engaged in negotiations to make Lue the franchise’s next coach.
However, negotiations hit a bump in the road in early May.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Lue and the Lakers had reached an “impasse.” Marc Stein of the New York Times added the team wanted to shape Lue’s assistant coaching staff rather than letting him do so himself.
The Lakers’ initial offer was for three years, according to Haynes, which lined up with LeBron James’ remaining contract. Per Haynes, Lue wanted a five-year contract.
As the two sides were unable to find common ground, Lue withdrew from consideration, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
A few months later, Lue joined the Lakers’ Staples Center co-tenants.
After spending 11 seasons in the NBA