Kevin Durant (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers will have a chance to hit two birds with one stone once they decide who to appoint as the team's next head coach.
The Lakers are reportedly looking for the right coach to lure top-talented players in this year's free agency class. According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, the Lakers are looking for potential coaching candidates who have the ability to be a "recruiter-in-chief" this summer.
"The Lakers are looking for a coach. But more than Xs and Os, more than establishing a style of play and seeking a developer of young players, the Lakers are looking for a new, "recruiter-in-chief," as one source said," Deveney wrote.
"That appears to be the No. 1 priority," a league source told Sporting News. "It's not just finding a guy to work with what's on the roster. They need a coach who can pitch players."
Surely any of the linked candidates to fill in the void left by Byron Scott has the capability to lure free agents, but the major concern could be the type of free agents each could persuade.
Kevin Durant is high on the Lakers' list this summer, and many believe LA will pursue a coach who could lure the OKC Thunder superstar to wearing Purple and Gold next season. With former Thunder coach Scott Brooks out of the picture (after signing a deal with the Washington Wizards), Derek Fisher could be the coach the Lakers need to hire if they wish to sign Durant or even Russell Westbrook.
"Fisher, according to a source, is hoping that his connections to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will make him more attractive to the Lakers, who have missed out on key free agents the past few summers," Frank Isola of the New York Daily News wrote.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Fisher is interested in the Lakers coaching gig, although the former Laker, who helped the team win five championships, could face tough competition from a long list of potential candidates, which includes former teammate and current Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton.
Sources indicate Derek Fisher has interest in the Lakers job. Obviously Laker front office still compiling their... https://t.co/sIg9FqjUyE
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 25, 2016
Fisher did not have much of a success as the Knicks' head coach in the past two seasons, leading to his exit from the Big Apple in favor of interim head coach Kurt Rambis. But if there is great chance Fisher could attract Durant to Tinsel Town, it would be a no-brainer for the Lakers to hire him as next head coach.
