Tyronn Lue won an NBA championship four months after becoming a head coach, and he will be rewarded rather nicely for it. Lue and the Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to a five-year, $35 million contract extension, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Lue, 39, joined the Cavaliers in 2014 as an associate head coach on a reported four-year, $6.5 million deal. This was the biggest contract for an assistant coach in NBA history. After he took over for the fired David Blatt in January, he and the Cavs reached an agreement on a deal that would pay him a prorated $3 million for 2015-16, $3 million next season and a $3.5 million team option for 2017-18, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. He never signed the contract, though, and then he earned himself a raise.
Cleveland should be extremely pleased to have Lue around long-term. He earned rave reviews from LeBron James and the rest of the roster for his ability to relate to players and hold them accountable at the same time. That, and his ability to take back the in-game huddle helped keep the Cavs steady when they fell down 3-1 in the NBA Finals. Lue placed emphasis on spacing the floor and taking advantage of transition opportunities throughout the playoffs.
Lue is regarded as one of the premier young coaches in the league, so it makes sense that he'd be paid like one. Also, this kind of thing is pretty simple: if LeBron James fully endorses a coach, you do not lose him.
