Report: Suns, Lakers Won't Get Ty Lue

The Los Angeles Clippers plan to keep Ty Lue around, which doesn't bode well for the Phoenix Suns.

Apr 9, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue calls out to his team during / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- It's no secret Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue is a coveted asset by the Phoenix Suns.

Flashback to last season, where the Suns fired Monty Williams and had Lue circled as their primary target. Lue ultimately stuck with Los Angeles, Phoenix hired Frank Vogel, and now the Suns could possibly be on the lookout for a third coach in as many seasons.

Lue - again - is the No. 1 target for the Suns, and even though he's still under contract through the 2024-25 season, there was hope Phoenix could lure Lue.

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who was reporting on news of the Los Angeles Lakers firing Darvin Ham while being linked to L.A.'s other coach, says the Clippers want to keep Lue around for the long term.

"Ty Lue still has a year left on his contract and the Clippers are determined to do a long-term deal with Ty Lue i'm told. They want him to be their coach for a very long time. And so listen, that's a conversation that will happen after the playoffs are over. But they love the job he did this season. They love the job that he's done there. This is an organization that, by all indications, however this series ends up, wants to re-sign Paul George, James Harden, try to improve that roster around those two of course, and Kawhi Leonard, and that Ty Lue will still be the coach for them."

Mike Budenholzer was listed as the top name on the market Los Angeles (or Phoenix) could go after.

The Clippers find themselves down 3-2 in their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks entering tonight.

Lue was labeled as the top candidate to replace Vogel (if fired) by our own Kevin Hicks:

"The Suns have notably struggled mightily with the Clippers during Lue's tenure - and Lue may serve as the common denominator.

"He knows the Suns' roster as well as anyone, or so it seems - and he is renowned as one of the best in-game adjusters in basketball. He has also been frequently linked as a person of interest on Mat Ishbia's radar."

It appears if Vogel's not sticking around, they'll have to look outside of Los Angeles for their next head coach - and that goes for Phoenix's rivals, too.