Tyronn Lue Contract: Latest News, Rumors on Coach's Negotiations with Cavaliers
Tyronn Lue took over as the Cleveland Cavaliers' head coach on Jan. 22 after David Blatt was fired, but the former associate head coach reportedly hasn't signed a new contract since getting promoted.
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No Cause For Concern Regarding Lue's Contract
Friday, April 29
According to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, Lue and the Cavaliers agreed to terms verbally on a renegotiated deal after he accepted the new job, but he has yet to put pen to paper to sign off on the contract.
On Jan. 23, ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne reported the structure of Lue's renegotiated contract would pay out a prorated $3 million for the remainder of the 2015-16 season and $3 million during the 2016-17 campaign before the team would have a $3.5 million option in the deal's third year.
However, McMenamin made it clear that Lue isn't going anywhere. Citing a source close to the coach, McMenamin reported that the 38-year-old "fully expects to be the head coach of the Cavs next season and beyond, no matter what happens with his team the remainder of the postseason."
At this point, signing the new deal appears to be more of a formality than anything else.
Not only did McMenamin cite sources who said Lue has "no interest" in any of the league's current head coaching vacancies, but he reported the primary reason Lue delayed making things official was "out of respect and deference to Blatt."
Since it appears as though Lue and the Cavs' front office merely need to do some clerical work to make things official once and for all, all the attention in Northeast Ohio should be focused on the team's quest to capture back-to-back Eastern Conference titles.
The Cavaliers looked sharp during a four-game sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, but a conference semifinals showdown with the Atlanta Hawks could prove to be tougher than an eventual Eastern Conference Finals showdown against the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets or Miami Heat.
But if the Cavaliers are able to knock the Hawks out of the playoffs for the second year in a row and flirt with capturing the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, Lue could put himself in line for a raise down the road.
