NBA Rumors: Lakers Next Head Coach Could Be Just Across Town

The Los Angeles Lakers have lots of work to do ahead, and one of the main things in their agenda is the head coaching position. It has yet to be confirmed if Luke Walton will stay on to call the shots. But should he be fired, a veteran NBA mentor across town could take over.

Doc Rivers reportedly had interest in calling the shots for the Lakers in the past. If Walton does get the ax, he could be one of the leading candidates to take over. As mentioned in a previous post, Earvin “Magic” Johnson had previously teased that he does have a head coach in mind and that this person is currently coaching in the NBA.

While Rivers may have expressed his interest in coaching the purple and gold, there are plenty of things to consider on the Los Angeles Clippers side. One is that he had previously agreed to a two-year contract extension. This means he needs to stay with the Clippers until the 2020-21 NBA season, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Hence, the only way for Rivers to fulfill his dream is if the Clippers agree to part ways with him. If not, there is also the angle where he could be traded for Luke Walton – a rare case of trading coaches.

So far, there are no signs that the LA Clippers have a strained relationship with Rivers. If not now, it could be future plans – including that of targeting a couple of superstars to bolster the Clips’ lineup, the Silver Screen and Roll reported.

Another scenario could be to add Rivers and keep Walton. If this happens, it is likely that the current Lakers head coach could be demoted to an assistant coaching capacity. If this happens, it satisfies the matter of keeping Walton in the fray.

Should this happen, Walton will still have his say. He could agree to such a scenario although it would hurt his ego in a sense. But in the event that he does get fired, being taken in as an assistant coach is the worst case scenario.

In another previous report, multiple teams are reportedly interested in getting the services of Walton to take over head coaching duties. Among the teams mentioned include the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Sun – two teams filled with young players who could end up being the NBA’s next big stars.