With less than 10 games in the 2018-19 NBA season, much of the attention has been on Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton’s future with the storied franchise.
Although injuries completely derailed Year 1 with LeBron James and the young core, there have been multiple reports about the Lakers firing the third-year head coach.
Whether it is fair or not, those in Walton’s current position are usually scapegoats with Los Angeles missing the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
As there are already potential candidates like former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd and former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly reached out to Walton, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic:
With new candidates for Luke Walton’s job emerging seemingly every day, former Cavs coach Tyronn Lue recently reached out to Walton to say he has not been in contact with the Lakers about a potential opening. New at @TheAthleticNBA: https://t.co/BeiqOzu8OK
— Bill Oram (@billoram) March 28, 2019
If Walton is ultimately fired, Lue is certainly a name to watch. Along with playing for the Lakers for three seasons, Lue coached LeBron James where they won one championship in three consecutive NBA Finals appearances against the Warriors.
Regardless of what happens, it is important for president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager to construct a roster that puts Walton or the next head coach in a position to succeed. While the Lakers surrounded James and the young core with ‘tough-minded’ playmakers, it became apparent they needed shooters instead.
