With the Phoenix Suns getting their man in Monty Williams, the decision for the Los Angeles Lakers on who to replace Luke Walton was essentially made for them.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are planning to hire former Cavaliers head coach and former Lakers’ player Ty Lue to lead the bench for the purple and gold.
Here’s how the L.A. Times described the process:
While the Lakers had always considered Lue the front-runner because of his ties to both the organization as a former player and as LeBron James’ former coach, the Suns’ announcement spurred them to action. Shortly after Williams’ hire, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka set to work to reach out to Lue’s representatives.
While several other reports over the past few weeks suggested Williams had a leg-up thanks to not having as strong of a connection as LeBron James, the Lakers are already laying groundwork that suggests Lue was their man all along.
It’s had been reported several times that the Lakers were sensitive to the perception of allowing James to run their team, but it appears they’re not going to let the talk around them dictate what they do.
No matter the reason or the process, the Lakers deserve some kudos for not simply bowing to public opinion.
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