NBA rumors: Kyrie Irving-Ty Lue relationship reason Lakers ended talks originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com First things first: The Los Angeles Lakers are currently an unmitigated disaster. Expected to try and challenge the Warriors in the Western Conference after landing LeBron James, the Purple and Gold bottomed out in the second half of the season, causing James to miss the playoffs for the first time since his second season in the NBA. Then, Magic Johnson abruptly quit as president of basketball operations. Head coach Luke Walton and the team agreed to part ways, allowing Walton to land the head coaching job with the Kings. The Warriors, all the while, continue their march to a third-straight NBA title. Things got tougher Wednesday, though, as the Dubs will be without Kevin Durant for the remainder of their second-round NBA playoff series with the Rockets after the two-time NBA Finals MVP suffered a right calf strain in Game 5. Things are still much better in the Bay than L.A., obviously. The Lakers appeared to have their next head coach all but locked up, but negotiations with former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue fell through reportedly due to contract demands and the Lakers' desire for him to have Jason Kidd as an assistant coach on his staff. But, what if there is another reason talks between Lue and the Lakers fell apart? On the latest episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," the Ringer CEO mentioned a rumor that he's heard since Lue and the Lakers agreed to go their separate ways. "The rumor mill is fantastic," Simmons said during a conversation with longtime Celtics radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande. "I don't mind passing along various things I've heard, including, somebody told me that Ty Lue -- the Lakers had to back out of the Ty Lue thing because Ty Lue and Kyrie, they couldn't be together again and Kyrie's going to go there and that's why that fell through. Not because of the contract. I have no idea if that's true or not but that's going to be the next two months of my life." Story continues First of all, it should be noted that Simmons admits he doesn't know if it's true, but that's the very definition of a rumor, Now, whispers of Irving potentially joining the Lakers began after Irving told reporters he called James to apologize for the way he acted upon his exit from the Cavs. Those rumors have grown louder over the last few months. [RELATED: Recent sense among Warriors that KD might stay] With Irving and the Celtics being bounced from the second round of the playoffs by the Bucks on Wednesday, the speculation about his future will only intensify from here on out. Irving, who is best friends with Durant, has been rumored to be a target of the Knicks as New York dreams of pairing the two stars together this offseason. But the Lakers could throw a huge wrench in the Knicks' plans by swiping Irving once free agency begins. It does seem highly unlikely that the Lakers are going about their head coaching search based on the thought that Irving wants to reunite with James. But we all know teams don't wait until the season is over to start contacting potential free agents (even if they are supposed to), and with Irving and James' relationship healed, perhaps it truly is a done deal. If Irving does choose to sign with the Lakers, that could impact the decision of Durant who many believe desires to play with his good friend next season. With no other superstar to pair up with in New York, would Durant leave the Dubs to play with Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson and potentially Zion Williamson? Seem unlikely. Irving heading to Tinseltown could both make the Lakers more of a threat to the Warriors but also could allow the Dubs to convince Durant to stay. Real double-edged sword. Of course, the Lakers landing a star free agent is far from a guarantee. The legendary franchise has been run more like a carnival of late, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Lakers whiff in free agency and be left searching for a way to compete in the final years of James' prime.<doc-sep>The only thing sure for the Los Angeles Lakers right now is that they are in a state of turmoil. With the coaching search still ongoing, the purple and gold find themselves groping and unable to move forward since there is no actual direction or vision that is normally set in place by a head coach. Tyronn Lue would have been the perfect fit, seeing how he has ties with LeBron James. But initial reports claim that everything went kaput when both sides failed to agree on the length of tenure of the 42-year-old mentor. Lue wanted a five-year deal but the Lakers were willing to give him only three years. With that unresolved, both parties decided to end contract talks, Manila Bulletin Sports reported. And while the Lakers continue to interview new candidates such as Frank Vogel and J.B. Bickerstaff, there are now rumors that the contract longevity may not be the sole reason behind Lue suddenly being taken out of the picture. The name of Kyrie Irving has suddenly entered the picture, someone who could possibly rejoin James in Hollywood this summer. According to the Bill Simmons Podcast, Lue and Irving do not actually see eye-to-eye. Had the deal pushed through, it would have meant bidding adieu to possibly adding Irving this summer. Hence, it may have all come down to a choice of either signing Lue or Irving. Do take note, that this is more of an opinionated piece and not factual for now. While most know that Irving left the Cavaliers in 2017, the press release is that he did not want to play second fiddle to James. That issue has since been resolved and both James and Irving are now in speaking terms. Eventually, that was what spurred the potential coming of Irving to the Lakers although nothing is definite for now. The reason behind that is the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes is not limited to the Lakers. The New York Knicks are also in play to land Uncle Drew along with possibly Kevin Durant. The Celtics could make a pitch to Irving as well, all accounting for a crazy NBA offseason as free agents listen to the (ridiculous) offers coming their way. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images As for Irving joining the Lakers, the fact that Los Angeles does not yet have a head coach could factor in as well. The 27-year-old needs to see the direction and composition of the team before making a decision. That verdict will be handed down on July 1 and hopefully, the Lakers already have a head coach by that time.<doc-sep>Negotiations between the Los Angeles Lakers and Tyronn Lue have reportedly reached an impasse without a deal to make him the franchise’s next head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Negotiations between the Los Angeles Lakers and Ty Lue have reached an impasse without a deal to make him the franchise’s next head coach, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 8, 2019 Discussions have included talks on contract and assistant coaching staff, sources said. Among Lakers hopes on a Lue staff: Jason Kidd. He made a strong impression with management in his head coaching interview and had a productive history w/ Bucks developing young talent. https://t.co/uQxTjqWAm7 — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 8, 2019 After the Phoenix Suns hired Monty Williams last week, it was widely assumed the Lakers would hire Lue, who coached LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers for three seasons. Lue played for the Lakers back in the day, too. He was part of the 2001 championship team which defeated Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals in five games. Lue went 128-83 during the regular season with the Cavs. He won the 2016 title with Cleveland, as the Cavs defeated the Golden State Warriors in seven games. General manager Rob Pelinka is reportedly leading the Lakers coaching search. If Los Angeles doesn’t hire Lue, it’s unknown where they would go to next. At this point, everyone would still be shocked if Lue and the Lakers don’t agree to a deal. Magic Johnson stepped down from his president role. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is reportedly not going to hire anyone above Pelinka. LA hasn’t made the playoffs since 2013. James missed 17 consecutive games this season and the team was never able to recover from that.<doc-sep>
Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he is "moving on" and will no longer be in the running for the team's head-coaching vacancy, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. This comes after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the two sides had reached an "impasse," with Wojnarowski adding Lue and the Lakers had discussed both a contract and his surrounding coaching staff, with former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd eyed as a potential assistant. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith revealed on SportsCenter that the Lakers had offered Lue a three-year deal with an annual salary in the range of $6 million. Lue reportedly wanted five years, according to Turner. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Lakers were looking to shape the supporting coaching staff rather than letting Lue do so himself. The Athletic's Shams Charania noted Lue and the Lakers were working on finding "common ground" on a potential assistant coaching staff, with Kidd's interest in an assistant role "unclear." Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported last month that Kidd interviewed with the Lakers in their search for a new head coach, although Lue became the front-runner when former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams dropped out of the running to take the Phoenix Suns' job. Kidd reportedly made a strong impression on management during his interview. Video Play Button Videos you might like Kidd became the Brooklyn Nets' head coach immediately upon retiring after a 19-year playing career in 2013. He went 44-38 while guiding the Nets to the second round of the playoffs during his lone season in Brooklyn. The Nets traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014, and he proceeded to go 139-152 with two postseason appearances in three-plus seasons with Milwaukee. The Bucks fired him following a 23-22 start to the 2017-18 campaign, and he has not been on a coaching staff since. Lue, meanwhile, went 128-77 while coaching Lakers superstar LeBron James for two-and-a-half seasons in Cleveland. The two led the Cavaliers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and delivered the franchise its first-ever championship in 2016. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Monday that the two sides were in negotiations to make Lue the franchise's next head coach, although contractual parameters still had to be worked out.