Sources have told ESPN that Ty Lue is there to stay in Los Angeles for years to come, as he apparently has already signed a new contract up until the 2028/2029 campaign that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. Reports suggest that he should be earning $14 million per year.
Apparently, both president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and team owner Steve Ballmer had been pushing for months to secure their tactician on a new deal, as negotiation with his agent Andy Miller of Klutch Sports took some time. However, sources assure that the agreement was finalized in recent days.
The Clippers finally confirmed the deal had been on the table and in discussion, but didn’t disclose the terms of agreement. One thing for sure is, Lue was convinced that he wished to stay put in California and continue his process as coach.
ESPN Sources: Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue has agreed on a new long-term contract that’ll make him one of the league’s highest paid coaches. Lue, who had been entering the final year of his deal, is considered one of the NBA’s elite coaches. pic.twitter.com/hhs6eJ0Rab
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 29, 2024
“This is where I want to be,” he said in a statement. “I’ve loved coaching this team for the past four years and I’m excited to head into a new era at Intuit Dome. I’m grateful to Steve, Lawrence and the entire organization for the opportunity. With our ownership, front office, roster, staff and arena, we have all the advantages we need to win in the present and the future, and I’m confident we will.”
After some roster uncertainty is looming this summer, Lue’s contract somehow represents an element of stability for the Clippers right now. After the tactician’s work in Cleveland, where he conquered the 2016 NBA title, he has established himself as one of the league’s most sought-after coaches.
“T Lue is everything we want in a head coach,” Frank expressed in a statement. “He’s a brilliant tactician and a natural leader with an extraordinary ability to connect with those around him, both players and staff. Four years ago, we felt privileged to hire T Lue, and we feel just as fortunate today. There’s no one we’d rather coach our team. T Lue is a pillar of the organization and will be for a very long time.”
Let’s remember that despite not winning a championship with the Clippers, he became the first coach to ever lead them to a Western Conference finals appearance three years ago. Unfortunately, the squad has been subjected to many injuries of star players during Ty’s tenure, as Kawhi and George have only played 45% of his games in charge.
Clippers are reportedly ‘determined’ for stars Paul George and James Harden to sign new contracts
Next year should be an exciting time for the Clippers, especially as they are set to start the following campaign playing at their new home, the Intuit Dome. Despite being eliminated in the playoffs’ first round, they showed many moments of brilliance throughout the season and hope to keep their roster core intact.
The team’s president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank assured that they are already working towards retaining stars Paul George and James Harden, as they expect to keep them close to Kawhi Leonard, and build a team around them.
While George has a player option on $48.8 million due next year and could become a free agent, Harden is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Reports suggest that the point guard is waiting to see what happens with his star teammate before deciding on his future in Los Angeles.
“We’d like to be able to bring back and retain Paul and James,” Frank said last week. “We’re hopeful we can, but also understand and respect the fact that they’re free agents. Paul has a decision with his option. James will be an unrestricted free agent, so our intent is to bring him back, but also realize that they’re elite players and they’ll have choices.”
