Byron Scott (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers could make a decision before draft night whether to fire or keep head coach Byron Scott.
With the Lakers missing the playoffs for the second-straight season, along with having the worst record in the franchise's history, LA once again find themselves in a familiar situation of possibly changing their coaching staff. The Lakers have been known as a team unafraid to sack their head coaches after signing them to a lengthy deal, and Scott may be the next to follow the fate of Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni.
According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Scott's head coaching job will be a topic to be discussed by the Lakers this offseason, with LA set to decide the 55-year-old's fate before the team heads into the 2016 NBA draft on Jun. 23.
"The team has until June 1 to notify Scott whether he'll be retained, as per terms of his contract, according to a person familiar with the situation," Bresnahan wrote.
Scott, whose contract runs through the 2017-2018 NBA season, with the final year not guaranteed, had plenty of questionable decisions this season, including the development of the Lakers' core of young talents.
The former Laker believes he could have done a better job with the team's youngsters, admitting he has plans for the likes of D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle next season. However, it may be too late for Scott, who could be replaced by one of the many coaches available in the league.
One of the handful names linked to fill in the Lakers' coaching position if Scott gets fired is Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton.
Walton has shown he could be a viable head coach for any team after guiding the Warriors to an impressive start when Steve Kerr was still recovering from a back injury.
According to Harrison Faigen of SB Nation, Walton fit the criteria the Lakers were looking for the last time they searched for a coach.
"The Lakers would still have to make the choice to move on from Scott before any of this matters, but as a former Lakers player who now has some head coaching experience, Walton fits the criteria the front office was reportedly looking for last time they underwent a head coaching search," Faigen wrote.
"Walton has also had success as an NBA head man this decade (albeit with a historically good roster), which would appease fans and seemingly be an attractive quality to the organization as well."
However, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, there is a "strong sense" that Walton will not leave the Warriors in the immediate future. This means the Lakers could have very few selections for the coaching job if Scott gets fired, which may not bode well for LA if they plan to turn things around next season.
