Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is not going anywhere.
Lue and the Clippers have a mutual interest in pursuing a long-term extension.
“I didn’t come here to bounce around and go all over the place,” Lue told reporters after Friday’s 114-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 which ended the Clippers’ season. “And Mr. [Steve] Ballmer, Lawrence [Frank], Mark [Hughes], Trent [Redden], Gillian [Zucker], they’ve all been great to me. This is where I want to be, and hopefully they feel the same way. So I haven’t had a bad experience since I’ve been here. Mr. Ballmer showed me a lot of different things that I wouldn’t be privy to if I wasn’t here.
“… Just having a great relationship with the owner, with the front office, it is great. And so I would love to be here long term.”
Lue, who has one more year left in his current deal, is expected to come to terms with the Clippers this offseason as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Clippers want to lock him up to a new multi-year extensuion amid the Los Angeles Lakers coaching buzz.
In the aftermath of Darvin Ham’s firing, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha and Shams Charania reported that Lue would immediately become a Lakers coaching candidate if he parts ways with the Clippers after their early playoff exit.
But Lue quickly shut down the rumors linking him to the Lakers.
“I don’t really have a comment on that,” Lue said. “I mean it’s great to be wanted you know that’s a really good feeling but like I said I want to be here and hopefully we’re able to solidify that.”
Second Straight First-Round Exit
Lue’s job is secured despite the Clippers second consecutive first-round exit.
But Lue did not have Kawhi Leonard for four of the six games in the playoffs. The Clippers star was again sidelined by knee inflammation. In both games he played, the Clippers lost.
Paul George and James Harden could not lift the Clippers past the Mavericks.
George had 18 points and 11 rebounds while Harden, who was acquired midseason, only shot 5 of 16 from the field and missed all six of his 3-pointers. Harden finished with 16 points and 13 assists.
The Clippers lost the game — and the series — in the third quarter when the Mavericks outscored them 35-20. After the deficit ballooned to 20 in the fourth quarter, the Clippers tried one last attempt to make a comeback.
A Harden 3-point play capped an 11-run for the Clippers, who managed to cut the Mavericks’ lead to 13 with 3:11 left. But that was the closes they could get as the Mavericks’ steady free throw shooting gave them enough cushion in the end.
Clippers’ Top Priorities
Aside from Lue’s contract extension, the Clippers’ other main priorities this offseason is to re-sign both George and Harden to new deals.
Leonard accepted a paycut to extend with the Clippers with an expectation that it will help the franchise bring George and Harden back.
That is now in peril after Leonard was not available again in the playoffs.
George has yet to agree to an extension while Harden can sign anywhere as an unrestricted free agent. George can also become an unrestricted free agent if he and the Clippers do no reach an agreement and he does not pick up his $48.8 player option for next season.
“A lot of emotions and things going through my mind right now,” Harden said after the loss.
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