NBA Rumors: 76ers, Ty Lue Have Mutual Interest in Head Coach Job

Check out the latest news and notes from around the NBA.

One day after getting swept out of the postseason by the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers fired head coach Brett Brown, the team announced Monday evening. 

Brown coached the team for seven seasons after being hired in August of 2013. 

“I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia,” general manager Elton Brand said in a statement. “He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances. Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year and I believe it is best to go in a new direction. This will be an important offseason for us as we look to get back on track towards our goal of competing for an NBA championship.”

According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, there is mutual interest between the franchise and current Clippers assistant coach Ty Lue to make Lue the team's next head coach. 

Mannix reported last week that Lue is expected to be a leading candidate for what could be several NBA coaching openings. The Athletic reported Monday that Lue remains a possibility for the Nets job as well. 

Lue was previously the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers when the team won the 2016 NBA title. He was also briefly an assistant for the Cavs and Celtics. 

Check out the latest news and notes from around the NBA:

• The Brooklyn Nets are seriously exploring the possibility of bringing on Spurs legend Gregg Popovich as the team's next head coach. (Shams Charnia, The Athletic)
• Nets GM Sean Marks is seriously considering Vaughn for the permanent head coach job, though both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are interested in a higher profile coach. (Jackie MacMullan, ESPN)
• Michigan head coach Juwan Howard is gaining traction as a possible NBA coaching candidate within front offices. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
• Shortly after the aforementioned report on Howard, the Michigan coach released a statement saying, "While I am flattered, and know it will more than likely happen again, I am not exploring, seeking or listening. I am the head coach at the University of Michigan."
• New York, Detroit and Phoenix are expected to try and sign Raptors guard Fred VanVleet this offseason. (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
• Vince Carter has had preliminary discussions on a front-office role with the Hawks. (Shams Charania, The Athletic)
• Selected family members and guests can begin quarantining off-site on Monday in hopes of joining the Orlando bubble during the second round of the playoffs. (Marc Spears, The Undefeated)