Luke Walton is now an official member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ search for Byron Scott’s replacement.
Not that this comes as a shock. His name has been kicked around the rumor mill to no end. His candidacy was a formality. It just wasn’t openly official.
Now it is, per ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
Steve Kerr, who was named the NBA Coach of the Year on Tuesday, revealed before Wednesday night’s series-clinching Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets that the Lakers can meet with Walton as soon as a break in the Warriors’ schedule arises.
“We told Mitch that he’s perfectly welcome to talk to Luke as soon as the series is over and we have a little break,” Kerr said of Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak.
NBA coaching sources say Luke Walton, after spending eight-plus seasons as a player with the Lakers, is a prime target for Los Angeles in its search to replace Byron Scott, who was fired Sunday night after posting a 38-126 record over the past two seasons.
The Lakers have also been linked to San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy and UConn’s Kevin Ollie. It is not totally clear yet who the favorite would be if all things are considered equal.
It does, however, seem like the Lakers won’t use their coaching vacancy as a free-agency pitch. They could technically sell big-name free agents on the opportunity to help pick the next coach, inherently building up their curb appeal for players who value having a say in organizational decisions and directions.
But the Lakers have been aggressive in their search early on, suggesting they would like to have a coach in place ahead of the draft and free agency. And that’s fine, too. Mostly because all of the main candidates are solid additions who would help advance the Lakers’ free-agency pitches anyway.
Luke Walton has never formally been a head coach, but he’s one of the best candidates out there. He kept the Golden State Warriors mentally engaged during Steve Kerr’s absence, and he has been exposed to the NBA’s most positive environment, both on and off the court. The Lakers, a young team on the mend, would be lucky to have him—though you could say the same about anyone else on their prospective list.
