Earlier this offseason, the woeful Los Angeles Lakers tabbed top Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton to be their new head coach as they embark on an ambitious and necessary rebuilding project. While this sparks optimism for L.A., it leaves a considerable void in Golden State. Given Walton's contributions and significance to the team, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr is already looking for his replacement.
According to a recent report, Kerr has already met with several viable candidates. The list includes Portland Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts and Charlotte Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, both of whom were reportedly interviewed on Monday.
Tibbetts has interviewed for the Memphis Grizzlies head coaching vacancy, and Silas remains in contention for the Houston Rockets job. The Trail Blazers have also received permission to speak with Silas should Tibbetts move on to a new opportunity.
It's possible that Silas could have the upper hand, as he was an assistant with the Warriors from 2006 to 2010, though that is just speculation at the moment. What is clear, however, is that Walton will be difficult to replace.
Walton guided the Warriors to a 39-4 record with Kerr sidelined to start the season with a back injury. Sure, all those victories came when Stephen Curry was playing at an otherworldly level, but it's still impressive nonetheless. Walton is only in his second year of coaching, and Golden State's record-setting 24-0 start and 73 overall regular season wins reflect well on him.
While none of those victories will count on Walton's official head coaching record - they are accredited to Kerr - the rest of the league still took note. Walton was named Coach of the Month in November and likely would have won Coach of the Year had Kerr not been able to return this season.
Now Walton, 36, will have the opportunity to prove himself without a safety net. Lucky for him, the Lakers hold the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and are expected to select Duke's Brandon Ingram. In addition, they have around $60 million in salary cap space. That should help with L.A.'s rebuilding process.
