Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Ty Lue and Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka met on Friday for approximately 90 minutes to discuss the franchise’s coaching vacancy, league sources told ESPN.
The conversation was described as relaxed and broad, a prelude to what the Lakers hope to be longer and more detailed discussions with top candidates Lue and Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams as soon as next week, league sources said.
Pelinka has plans to interview Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard on Tuesday, league sources said.
The Lakers have invited Lue and Williams to meet with ownership and senior management, including owner Jeanie Buss, league sources said. Pelinka’s meeting with Lue was similar in format and tone to his visit with Williams on Tuesday in Philadephia, sources said.
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While the Lakers hope to have second interviews in Los Angeles next week, the logistics of a second meeting with Williams likely hinge on the status of the Sixers’ playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets. It is possible the Lakers leadership could travel to meet with Williams back East.
Lue reached the NBA Finals three times as the Cavaliers coach, including an NBA championship in 2016. He was fired shortly after the start of the 2018-19 season.
Williams returned to coaching this season as Brett Brown’s top assistant. He spent the previous two years in the San Antonio Spurs’ front office following the tragic death of his wife, Ingrid, in early 2016.
Williams left the Oklahoma City Thunder as associate head coach in the aftermath of his wife’s passing. He and his children relocated to San Antonio, where Williams had extended family.
Before his time with the Thunder, Williams coached the New Orleans Pelicans for five seasons. He reached the playoffs in his first season (2010-11) and his last (2014-15). Williams coached Anthony Davis and maintains a strong relationship with him. Davis has requested a trade from New Orleans and considers the Lakers a preferred destination. He can be a free agent in 2020.
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