The Lakers have ensured it's an eventful Friday afternoon, dismissing Mike Brown in what former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy called "the most ridiculous firing in the history of NBA," according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Just five games into the regular season, the Lakers are now involved in a search for their next permanent head coach, with assistant Bernie Bickerstaff taking over in the interim.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and executive VP Jim Buss are certainly making phone calls, but for now, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link) says any speculation about the team's new head coach would be just that — speculation. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld hears from a source that the Lakers have yet to zero in on a specific name, and that "everyone is a candidate" (Twitter link).
Still, there are a number of ex-coaches that make sense for the Lakers to varying degrees. I outlined some of the pros and cons for a few of the high-profile candidates in an earlier post. Now it's your turn to weigh in. Which candidate do you feel is the best fit for the Lakers? Who would you hire if you were running the team? Vote in the poll below, and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.