The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking determined to turn their fortunes around next season.
After naming David Blatt as the team's new head coach starting next season, the Cavaliers also hired Tyronn Lue as the team's associate head coach.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin announced the development with reports suggesting that Lue will receive $1 million per year, making him one of the highest paid assistants in the league.
Lue, who served as an assistant coach to Doc Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, was actually a finalist in the Cavaliers' coaching search, but was edged by Blatt, who became the first EuroLeague coach to make a jump to the NBA.
Griffin expressed confidence that Lue's addition to their coaching staff will work wonders for the Cavaliers next season. Previous reports indicated that the Cavaliers were intrigued with Lue's plan on developing both Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.
"Over the past several weeks, it became clear that Ty could play a key role in our team's future success," Griffin said. "Ty fits our culture and vision for the franchise. His successful experience as both a player and coach is going to help us tremendously. Tyronn Lue joining Coach Blatt's staff is more than exciting to all of us here in Cleveland."
Before moving to the Clippers last season, Lue also spent four seasons as a member of Rivers' coaching staff in Boston wherein he also served as the Director of Basketball Development during the 2009-10 season.
"I could not be happier that Ty will be joining the Cavaliers' coaching staff as my top assistant. I look forward to leveraging all of his experiences and expertise into our team's development," Blatt said. "This is a character guy and winner himself who played and worked with some of the greatest talents and successful leaders in NBA history. I am thrilled to have him by my side as we get to work in Cleveland."
Lue played 554 games in his 11 seasons in the league, winning two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and 2001. He also had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
