Lakers rumors are continuing to build momentum as the team continues its search to replace former head coach Mike D'Antoni. A ton of names have been tossed around ever since D'Antoni was first on the hot seat in Hollywood, and we're here to help you sift through all the noise with our Top 5 Lakers Coaching Candidates As Of 5/12:
5. Steve Kerr
Several NBA sources are indicating that the Lakers feel Kerr may be too far along in his negotiations with the New York Knicks to seriously consider the Lakers' head coaching job. However, with reports surfacing that Kerr may be commanding $30 million over five years to run the sidelines at Madison Square Garden, don't be surprised if things fall through in the Big Apple -- just in time for the Lakers to scoop up one of the hottest coaching prospects in recent memory.
4. Kevin Ollie
As of right now, no meeting is planned between Lakers' management and UConn Huskies head coach Kevin Ollie. To be honest, that may have more to do with the Los Angeles Lakers being patient than any perceived disinterest on Ollie's part. While UConn is doing their very best to handsomely reward the man who led their program to the 2014 NCAA National Championship, the Lakers' job will still be extremely hard to pass up for a young coach who knows just how high his stock has risen -- and how unlikely that it is in his profession that it will rise this high again.
3. Jeff Van Gundy
The more that the splashy names surrounding the Lakers' job twist and turn over their loyalties to their current jobs, the more that a no-nonsense guy like Jeff Van Gundy starts to appeal to both Lakers' management and the team's fan base. His experience in (mostly) successfully dealing with both the New York media and a notoriously tough boss in the Knicks' James Dolan may turn him into the marathon man of this coaching search when all is said and done.
2. Derek Fisher
It just makes too much sense. Fisher is the ultimate on-court coach. He has the name-value and successful history with the franchise that seems to be high atop the list of Lakers president of basketball operations Jim Buss. Kobe believes in him. He believes in himself. Kurt Rambis is there to help him understand the trials and tribulations involved in moving from playing to coaching.
A hire which seemed like a dark horse possibility just a couple weeks ago is seeming more and more viable as time goes on.
1. Byron Scott
Scott combines the coaching experience of a Jeff Van Gundy with the ties to the Lakers of a Derek Fisher. He is the ultimate "please most of the people, most of the time" hire -- and his record in helping high-caliber talents take that extra step can't be denied. The mess that his tenure with the Cleveland Cavs seems firmly behind him -- and with cap space and a lottery pick to play with, Scott could forge a new legacy with a Lakers' team that helped give him the tools to succeed as a player/professional in the first place.