Tyronn Lue, the former head coach of the championship-winning Cleveland Cavaliers, has landed in Houston to interview for the Rockets head coaching vacancy.
The Rockets and their former head coach Mike D’Antoni mutually agreed to part ways after a second-round exit in the Orlando bubble.
Lue most recently coached with the Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant for Doc Rivers.
It’s been five years since the Rockets last changed head coaches and it’s clear that General Manager Daryl Morey and company aren’t taking this transition lightly.
In the time since D’Antoni’s departure, Doc Rivers has interviewed and accepted a head coaching position with the Philadelphia 76ers and Billy Donovan has interviewed and accepted a head coaching position with the Chicago Bulls.
The Rockets remain in “win-now” mode with aging stars Russell Westbrook and James Harden both under mega-max contracts.
Both Westbrook and Harden will likely have a say in who becomes the next head coach of the Rockets, so long as Morey doesn’t trade them beforehand.
Morey has been one of the most active NBA GMs in recent years, making huge trades for Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook respectively.
Lue would seemingly be a natural fit for the Rockets considering he has a lot of experience managing superstar talent.