There are rumors that Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks might try to fill their respective head coaching vacancies by hiring Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. Despite the potential interest in Lue, the Clippers are unlikely to lose their head coach to another team.

Because Tyronn Lue is still under contract with the Clippers, he can't be hired by the Suns or Bucks without Los Angeles' permission. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is a big fan of Lue, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Ballmer is not expected to allow Lue to leave Los Angeles, particularly if it means becoming the head coach of the Suns, one of the Clippers' top adversaries in the West.

When the Clippers made Lue their head coach in October 2020, it was reported that he received a five-year contract in the range of $7 million per year. That would leave Lue with two more years and around $14 million left on his deal.

In the wake of firing their head coaches, the Suns and Bucks have been linked to championship-winning coaches. Lue won the 2016 NBA Finals in his first year as the Cleveland Cavaliers coach. In his first year as the Clippers coach, Lue led Los Angeles to its first-ever conference finals appearance, despite Kawhi Leonard suffering a season-ending injury in the playoffs.

Former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse is thought to be a candidate for both the Suns and Bucks. Shortly after being fired by Milwaukee, Mike Budenholzer is expected to be considered for Phoenix's coaching vacancy.

The Suns fired coach Monty Williams after being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for a second straight year.