NBA Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers Reveal Main Reason Behind Firing Tyronn Lue As Head Coach

When LeBron James left in the recent free agency, most people no longer considered the Cleveland Cavaliers as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, aside from losing their status as a legitimate title contender, the Cavaliers may also have a hard time competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season.

Despite having Kevin Love, the Cavaliers continue to struggle in the 2018-19 NBA season and are yet to win a single game. After a 0-6 start, the Cavaliers decided to make a huge change on their team which started by firing Tyronn Lue as head coach.

In a recent statement, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman admitted that it is a very difficult decision to part ways with the coach who helped them win their first NBA championship title in 2016. However, Altman strongly believes that they did what is best for the team. Altman thinks the Cavaliers need a different voice who has a deep understanding of the path the team plans to take.

Before the Cavaliers officially fired Tyronn Lue, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that the 41-year-old mentor had a disagreement with Koby Altman regarding the team’s rotation. While Altman and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wanted to give more playing time to their young players, specifically Collin Sexton, Lue still insisted on playing some of their veterans like Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith, and Channing Frye.

“Sources told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that Lue recently had a disagreement with Altman over playing veterans. Altman preferred that Kyle Korver and JR Smith be taken out of the rotation to give time to younger players. After one game in which they didn’t play, Lue put both back in the rotation without consulting Altman. Gilbert has also encouraged more playing time for rookie Collin Sexton, sources told Windhorst. Sexton is averaging just 23.5 minutes per game. Lue is still owed roughly $15 million on the contract he signed in 2016 after the team won the title, sources said.”

Reporting with @WindhorstESPN: Cavaliers preparing for likelihood of losing Kevin Love for a month-plus with toe injury. https://t.co/ovtAllmsTC

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 29, 2018

As of now, it seems like the Cavaliers are giving more priority in the development of their young players over returning to the Eastern Conference Playoffs for fifth consecutive season. If they finally decide to take a different route, it will not be a surprise if the Cavaliers make Kevin Love available on the market before the February NBA trade deadline.

After firing Tyronn Lue, the Cavaliers named Larry Drew as their interim head coach. Drew posted an 8-1 record when he served as the Cavaliers interim head coach last season. Before officially accepting his new role, Drew met with the Cavaliers’ management to discuss his promotion and the possibility of a permanent appointment as head coach.