We can add another name to the list of candidates for the Lakers‘ head coaching job, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports that Jason Kidd has interviewed for the position.
According to McMenamin, Kidd’s interview took place on Monday, as the former Nets and Bucks head coach met with general manager Rob Pelinka and Kurt Rambis, who is back with the franchise in an executive role. The meeting lasted for several hours, sources tell McMenamin.
Kidd was linked to the Lakers multiple times during the season when Luke Walton was still under contract. However, his name didn’t come up right away in the wake of Walton’s dismissal, as interviews with Tyronn Lue, Monty Williams, and Juwan Howard were reported first. Kidd now joins that list of names, which could continue to grow if the team doesn’t make a quick decision on Walton’s replacement.
As McMenamin notes, Kidd is the latest Lakers candidate with ties to star forward LeBron James, having played with him during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Williams has also been involved with Team USA squads with James, while Lue coached LeBron in Cleveland and Howard played with him in Miami.
The Lakers were expected to interview Howard today, with follow-up sessions for Lue and Williams on tap for later this week.
APRIL 23: Lue will have his second interview with the Lakers on Wednesday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. As noted below, this meeting will involve Buss in addition to Pelinka.
The team’s second interview with Williams is expected to happen later in the week.
APRIL 20: As the Lakers progress with their search for a new head coach, Tyronn Lue will be among those brought in for a second interview, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin report (Twitter link).
Lue, who led the Cavaliers to a world championship three years ago, interviewed with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Friday. As Wojnarowski and McMenamin note, that meeting was held with the purpose of both sides getting to know one another, and setting up a second interview with owner Jeanie Buss.
Los Angeles met with Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams earlier in the week and is also expected to receive a second interview. As we relayed on Friday, the Lakers will also meet with Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard.
After three seasons at the helm, Luke Walton was dismissed by the Lakers at season’s end. He has since latched on with the Kings as their new head coach.
10:41pm: The Warriors, who employed Walton as an assistant coach before he was hired by the Lakers, say they were unaware of the alleged incident, per a statement passed along by the New York Times’ Marc Stein (Twitter link). “We became aware of the alleged incident and story this evening and are in the process of seeking more information. We’ll have no further comment at this time.”
10:18pm: An ESPN report from Dave McMenamin gives a conflicting timeline, saying the alleged incident happened before Walton was named Lakers coach in April 2016. “No one ever reported it to the team,” a source told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “And that is not why the team parted ways with him.”
8:39pm: New Kings head coach and former Lakers coach Luke Walton is being sued by a female reporter for an alleged sexual assault in May 2017, according to a TMZ report relayed by Yahoo Sports’ Jack Baer.
Kelli Tennant, a reporter who previously worked for Spectrum Sportsnet LA, claims that Walton assaulted her in a hotel room in Santa Monica while discussing a book she was writing.
The lawsuit reportedly asserts that Walton forcibly kissed Tennant and rubbed his body against her despite pleas to stop.
Tennant claims she did not initially report the alleged assault since she had to continually interact with him because of her job, according to TMZ.
Tennant left Spectrum Sportsnet LA that year. She now works for Amazon Prime, covering the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour, and also has a podcast focusing on women’s issues.
The accusation casts a shadow over Walton and his swift hiring by Sacramento GM Vlade Divac.
The Kings issued a statement, Sam Amick of The Athletic tweets, which states, “We are aware of the report and are gathering additional information. We have no further comment at this time.”
Johnson blindsided the organization by stepping down as president of basketball operations two weeks ago. However, Johnson declared that he’s still playing an active role in organizational decisions.
“I love Jeanie,” Johnson said. “I’ve been talking to her almost every day. I’m trying to help. Listen, I may not be in there physically, but I’m still there.”
Johnson is still expected to help woo free agents this summer as the franchise seeks more star power to help LeBron James bring it back to prominence, according the L.A. Times story.
If the Lakers don’t replace Johnson, the power of GM Rob Pelinka will continue to grow. Pelinka is running the team’s search for a new head coach to replace Luke Walton, who was dismissed after the season. The Lakers have already met with former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue and Sixers assistant Monty Williams. They’re expected to meet with Heat assistant and Pelinka’s former college teammate, Juwan Howard, on Tuesday.
Magic Johnson shocked the NBA world when he stepped down as the Lakers‘ president of basketball operations. However, despite the lack of title, he said he still remains involved with the team.
“I’m still helping them. It’s almost like I never left [laughs]. I’m still talking to them every day,” Johnson said via TMZ (h/t Harrison Faigen of SB Nation).
Johnson, who told the media of his plans to leave before speaking with owner Jeanie Buss, added that he wouldn’t change his communication approach if he had to do it again.
“Everybody knows I love the Lakers, and so I’m gonna always help them. Like right now, I’m gonna still help them. I love my team, I love my franchise, and I love this city,” Johnson said. “You have to do things sometimes on your own terms. It doesn’t matter what other people think, see? And I’m that guy.”
The best point guard of all time reiterated that his relationship with Buss remains solid.
“I love Jeanie,” Johnson said. “I’ve been talking to her almost every day. I’m trying to help. Listen, I may not be in there physically, but I’m still there.”
Johnson squashed any notion that friction with LeBron James was the reason he stepped down. He told TMZ that LBJ was going to lead the Lakers to a championship.
“LeBron is going to lead us to a championship, so we’re excited about what he’s going to do, and we’re also excited that he signed,” Johnson said. “It’s all good with me and LeBron, and [Maverick Carter] and Rich Paul. So now all we need is keep going down the same path, get another superstar this summer and we’ll be fine.”
There were rumblings that Johnson would continue to help the Lakers shortly after his impromptu resignation. Last summer, he played a key role in Los Angeles landing James, one of the flashiest free agent additions in team history. Theoretically, he’s in position to help the franchise land another piece this summer without the threat of tampering.
APRIL 19, 9:45pm: The Lakers will meet with Howard on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
APRIL 14, 2:28pm: Members of the Lakers’ front office will travel to meet with Williams sometime after Game 2 of the Sixers’ playoff series, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
APRIL 14, 2:14pm: The Lakers have received permission to talk to Heat assistant Juwan Howard about their head coaching vacancy, tweets ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. An interview will probably take place next week, she adds.
Howard is the third name to appear in the Lakers’ coaching search since they parted ways with Luke Walton on Friday. L.A. also plans to discuss the job with former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue next week and has gotten permission from the Sixers to interview assistant coach Monty Williams.
Earlier today, we told you that Howard and Jamahl Mosley will interview to replace Larry Drew in Cleveland
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka met with Sixers assistant Monty Williams earlier this week to discuss the club’s head coaching vacancy, and there’s an expectation on both sides that a second visit will occur at some point, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Williams is one of three known candidates for the Lakers’ job, along with Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard.
As we detailed earlier this week, Tyronn Lue‘s meeting with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka about the team’s head coaching vacancy is taking place today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter).
Lue has experience coaching LeBron James in Cleveland, which could be a point in his favor as Pelinka and the Lakers weigh their options for Luke Walton‘s replacement. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes, coaching James isn’t without its challenges, but if a coach comes in with a game plan, holds LeBron accountable, and is prepared for push-back, he can succeed.
Lue and Monty Williams are among the candidates apparently in the running for the Lakers’ job, though both men have reportedly been warned to proceed with caution. As Colton Jones of Amico Hoops relays, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said during an appearance on 710 ESPN that “everyone in the league” has told Williams not to take the job, while Jorge Sedano of ESPN said one of Lue’s close friends has given the former Cavs coach a similar warning.
It remains to be seen which direction the Lakers are leaning, or whether they’ll expand their search beyond Lue, Williams, and Juwan Howard. However, Shelburne also notes that it wouldn’t be a total surprise if Williams prefers to remain with the Sixers, where he’s an assistant on Brett Brown‘s staff. His family is settled there, and he could be next in line if Philadelphia were to move on from Brown, says Shelburne (via Jones).
Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, there’s no indication that the Lakers plan to reach out to Clippers consultant Jerry West about the possibility of returning to the franchise following Magic Johnson‘s resignation from his president of basketball operations role. For his part, West said he’s preparing for an eventful offseason with the Clippers, but made no guarantees about his role next season and beyond. “Well, as far as I can tell, I really don’t have a future, OK? My future is now,” West told Amick. “I don’t really worry about that. I worry about getting through this season, and really concentrating – all of us, concentrating – on free agency.”
Although they fell back to earth last night, the fact that the Clippers made the postseason and are capable of performances like their Game 2 win over Golden State bodes well for the pitch they can make to free agents this summer, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times conveys a similar sentiment, writing that the club’s future is bright regardless of what happens in the playoffs.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a deep dive into the Lakers’ offseason, exploring the head coaching search, the possibility of revisiting Anthony Davis trade talks, the club’s free agency options, and more.
In an article for ESPN.com, Kevin Arnovitz makes the case for why the Lakers need to hire an outside to run their front office following Magic Johnson‘s departure from his president of basketball operations role.
On Tuesday, we asked which NBA head coaching vacancy looks like the most appealing, and so far, the Lakers are the pick. Despite all the drama in Los Angeles, the Lakers’ basketball situation still appears to be more favorable than that of the Grizzlies or Cavaliers.
The Lakers are also one of four teams with an opening at the top of their front office. In the wake of Magic Johnson‘s resignation, general manager Rob Pelinka is running the show in L.A., but there’s an expectation that the team will eventually hire someone to join him at the top of that hierarchy. It remains to be seen whether that means hiring a new president of basketball operations or perhaps promoting Pelinka and hiring someone underneath him.
Either way, a high-ranking job in the Lakers’ front office would be an intriguing one. Despite the team’s struggles in 2018/19, L.A. still has one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players (LeBron James) under contract for at least two more seasons and has the cap flexibility to pursue another star this summer. Some of the Lakers’ young players, such as Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, saw their value dip a little in recent months for health-related reasons, but there’s still a solid core of young players on the roster who could be dangled in trade talks or who could be contributors on the Lakers’ next playoff team.
The Grizzlies are another team in the market for a high-ranking basketball executive, though as in the case of the Lakers, it’s not clear exactly what that exec’s role would be. After demoting Chris Wallace, the Grizzlies announced that president of business operations Jason Wexler would oversee basketball operations too, with Zach Kleiman elevated to executive VP of basketball operations.
Neither Wexler nor Kleiman – who has a law background – is a true basketball executive, however. Presumably, the club will target a candidate with more of a background in player evaluation, scouting, and personnel decisions to join them in a key front office role. And that role could be an interesting one — Jaren Jackson looks like a keeper, and Mike Conley is a borderline All-Star who could be retained or traded. Owing a first-round pick to the Celtics is a nuisance, but once that pick is conveyed, Memphis would be in position to launch a full-fledged rebuild, allowing a new exec to help put his stamp on the team.
The Wizards‘ and Timberwolves‘ searches for new additions to their respective front offices appear more straightforward. Washington is seeking a replacement for Ernie Grunfeld, the team’s top decision-maker for years, and Minnesota publicly announced that it’s on the lookout for a new president of basketball operations.
In some ways, the Wizards’ and Timberwolves’ situations are similar. Each team has one overpriced long-term contract that may be a cap burden going forward – John Wall in Washington and Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota – but the presence of an All-Star (Karl-Anthony Towns and Bradley Beal) at least gives each franchise some hope.
Having players like Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and Josh Okogie locked up in Minnesota may appeal to front office candidates. Of course, in D.C., only Wall, Beal, and Troy Brown are under contract beyond the 2019/20 season, which might be intriguing to a candidate looking for a bit more of a clean slate. Plus, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis probably has a better league-wide reputation than Glen Taylor, who has been known to get involved in the Wolves’ basketball decisions.
What do you think? Assuming the roles are relatively similar, and taking into account rosters, assets, and ownership situations, which of these four front office positions looks the most appealing to you?
Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in!