Lakers granted permission to interview Warriors’ Luke Walton

The Lakers have been granted permission to speak with Luke Walton.

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The Los Angeles Lakers have reached out and received permission to interview assistant coach Luke Walton after the first round of the NBA playoffs, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters.

The Lakers fired head coach Byron Scott after the worst season in franchise history that saw the team finish 17–35. Walton has emerged as one of the top candidates to replace Scott but has said that he does not want to take part in interviews while a playoff series is going on.

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Walton has close ties to the organization having won two championships as a player and serving as a player development coach for the Los Angeles D-Fenders from 2013 to ‘14.

Walton led the Warriors to a 39–4 record to start the season as Kerr recovered from back surgery.

The team may also be considering UConn’s Kevin Ollie, former Knicks head coach Derek Fisher and Spurs assistant coach Ettore Mussina.

The Golden State Warriors hold a 3–1 lead over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. They could close out the series with a win on Wednesday night.