Luke Walton (Photo : Doug Pensinger | Getty Images Sport)
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely tap the service of former player-turned-coach Luke Walton to run the team in case they decide to boot out Byron Scott from head coaching duties following the 2015-16 NBA season, per Tim Bontempts of the Washington Post.
According to Bontempts, the Lakers brain-trusts are eager to find a new identity with franchise player Kobe Bryant soon retiring.
Walton, who won two championships with the Lakers and put up a brief but successful stint as interim coach for the defending champion Golden State Warriors, is seen the man fit for the Lakers' coaching gig.
On the other hand, there's no assurance the Lakers will make a coaching change this offseason. Byron Scott is guaranteed to receive the whole of his salary for next season, regardless of his fate as the Lakers coach.
Moreover the more D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson show potential under his tutelage for the remainder season, the harder for the Lakers executives to fire Scott at the end of their campaign.
The revival of never-ending DeMarcous Cousins saga
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee predicted the Sacramento Kings to eventually trade talented but problematic center DeMarcus Cousins this summer.
Voisin stressed the Kings front-office shouldn't be too much concerned about losing an All-Star caliber talent like Cousins, whether or not they would net a great package for him.
According to Voisin, Vlade Divac is already in the process of hiring a 'GM-type' of an executive who can assist him in negotiating for a right deal should they trade Cousins.
The SacBee writer believes a draft day trade for Cousins is a possibility. She identified the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Lakers as potential landing spots for the two-time All-Star.
#SacramentoKings @ailene_voisin -- Question is not whether Kings will trade DeMarcus Cousins but what they get -- https://t.co/AHqopVOopo
— Deborah Anderluh (@danderluh) March 13, 2016
"A number of league executives fancy themselves as saviors, perceive the Kings as perpetually dysfunctional and are intrigued by the All-Star center's enormous talents. Keep an eye on Houston, Dallas, Boston, the Lakers and the Clippers, to name a few."
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