The deal isn't officially done ... but seems Ty Lue ain't worried about jinxing his shot at the Lakers head coaching job -- at least judging by his Lakers-themed birthday cake. Lue -- the reported frontrunner to replace Luke Walton -- celebrated his 42nd birthday at a fancy Las Vegas restaurant over the weekend. We're told Lue rented out the entire restaurant and celebrated with his closest friends and family -- less than 10 people at the party. But, the biggest moment of the night was the cake -- which sported a giant Lakers logo and a basketball hoop ... along with the message, "Happy Birthday Coach." Ty laughed when the cake was brought out -- but we're told he never really said anything to dispute the insinuation he's gonna be the next coach of the Lakers. So, either his pals were just trying to get a laugh ... or they all know something that hasn't "officially" been reported yet. We'd ask what he wished for when he blew out the candles ... but it seems his wish may have already come true. Lue last coached for the Cleveland Cavaliers -- but he was fired back in Oct. 2018 after an 0-6 start. But, the buzz is that LeBron James is pushing the Lakers to hire Lue -- because they get along really well.<doc-sep>David Liam Kyle/Getty Images Although Tyronn Lue hasn't officially been named the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, he is certainly already acting like he has the job. The former Cleveland Cavaliers coach celebrated his 42nd birthday over the weekend in a Las Vegas restaurant, according to TMZ Sports. The noteworthy part is that the cake had a full Lakers theme to it: Lue laughed but didn't really seem to argue with the decoration. Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported Friday that the Lakers were planning to offer Lue the job in the coming days, with no other new candidates being introduced to the process. With Monty Williams going to the Phoenix Suns, Lue is likely the only option for Los Angeles at the moment. The move appears inevitable, but fans will have to wait on the official word.<doc-sep>Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue turned 42 last week, and according to pictures from the event, the party was Los Angeles Lakers-themed. A video posted to Twitter showed Lue celebrating his special day with a Lakers-themed cake amidst numerous rumors and reports that he will soon become the Lakers new head coach. Lue heading to Los Angeles would of course pair him with his former player and former Cavs star LeBron James. In Cleveland, the two enjoyed great success, including winning the 2016 NBA championship. Lue was fired by the Cavs shortly after the beginning of the 2018-19 season. The team was 0-6 at the time of his firing. While Lue has not put pen to paper yet in L.A., this type of celebration seems to indicate that the deal is all but done. Hopefully, Lue enjoys great success in the next chapter of his storied coaching career.<doc-sep>The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be inching closer toward hiring Tyronn Lue as their next head coach. Part of Lue’s weekend birthday celebration certainly adds credence to that hire coming to fruition. According to TMZ, Lue was presented with a Lakers-themed birthday cake at a private party attended by close friends and family. The cake had a huge Lakers logo and the message, “Happy Birthday, Coach.” Lue turned 42 on Friday. Of course, that doesn’t confirm that Lue is the Lakers’ choice, but it doesn’t exactly dissuade from that notion, does it? The celebration reportedly took place in Las Vegas, where Lue has been living. Per the Los Angeles Times, Lue was expected to attend the Canelo Alvarez-Daniel Jacobs boxing match in Vegas on Saturday night. Lakers star LeBron James was also expected to attend the fight. The LA Times and ESPN reported on Friday that the two sides were advancing toward an agreement but that no deal had been completed. Lue became the top target after Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams agreed to become the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Tyronn Lue coached LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) Lue played for the Lakers from 1998-2001 as a backup point guard. After his playing career ended in 2009, Lue entered the coaching world. After first serving as an assistant, Lue was promoted to head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 2016. He coached the Cavs, led by James, to an NBA title that season. Lue, who was fired by Cleveland just six games into the 2018 season, has a strong relationship with James. Story continues Once the coach is in place, the Lakers will shift their focus toward acquiring another star to pair with James. James’ first season in L.A. did not go all that well. James missed a big chunk of the season with a groin injury and the team went 37-45, missing the playoffs. It was the first time James missed the playoffs since 2005. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>
The Lakers continue to insist on their own deliberate timeline when it comes to hiring a new head coach, but everyone else involved in the process doesn’t seem to have the same level of patience. First, the Phoenix Suns swiped away Monty Williams while Los Angeles was still interviewing candidates. Now Tyronn Lue — or at least those closest to him — is sort of publicly acknowledging that he has the job. At his 42nd birthday party in Vegas, Lue was presented with a cake affixed with a large Lakers logo along with the caption, “Happy Birthday Coach”. Lue is well within his rights to expect to be named head coach within the near future, but according to the reporting from TMZ, he neither confirmed nor denied the claims made by the cake. TMZ’s report also provided a few more details about the party: Ty laughed when the cake was brought out — but we’re told he never really said anything to dispute the insinuation he’s gonna be the next coach of the Lakers. So, either his pals were just trying to get a laugh ... or they all know something that hasn’t “officially” been reported yet. Lue clearly has a good set of friends here. They went basketball-themed with the cake for the NBA lifer, something that appears to have been decided well before the Lakers paraphernalia was attached, and seem to have a good sense of humor about the whole process. The only indication that this Lakers gag wasn’t a last-minute addition is the gold strip at the bottom of the cake, which doesn’t really fit with the marble coloring. Also, if anyone could enlighten me as to why there are eight candles, it would be much appreciated. The vagaries of how adults decide how many candles to put on a birthday cake are still quite confusing. Let’s hope Lue enjoyed his birthday as much as he clearly enjoyed this cake, or at least its visual presentation. He theoretically has a long year ahead of him, and he might not have as much free time for parties once the offseason comes to a close, so he should savor this fun until the real work begins. For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.