Lakers News: How Los Angeles Views Coaching Free Agent Monty Williams

Will the Purple and Gold hire the 2022 Coach of the Year?

Apr 5, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers should, you know, think about hiring a head coach at some point this offseason.

The market actually just got a bit more crowded on Wednesday, after the Detroit Pistons canned one-and-done head coach Monty Williams, who inked a massive six-season, $78 million contract to lead the club... straight to a 28-game losing streak and a 14-68 lottery-bound finish. The team maybe wasn't expected to even reach the playoffs last year, but the sheer ineptitude of the club, amidst rumors of personality clashes, quickly devolved to dumpster fire status.

Now, the dwindling tally of qualified remaining head coaching candidates out there (and people are getting snatched up all the time) have three teams to choose from — not just the playoff-bound Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers, but also the Pistons, who just need to look a bit better than a 14-68 team next season.

Willi Williams, after a truly embarassing streak of consecutive firings (he was canned as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 2023), be under consideration for the Lakers' own head coaching vacancy?

During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show," The Athletic's Shams Charania revealed that his sources are pessimistic Williams is on the radar for Los Angeles.

"I haven't gotten the sense that Monty Williams is gonna be in the picture for the Lakers"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/5nKuINjOL3

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 19, 2024

"I haven't gotten the sense that Monty Williams is on the radar for the Lakers," Charania said.

After being one of the Lakers' top two head coaching preferences in 2019, this is quite the reversal. Williams and the other leading candidate, Tyronn Lue, both took other gigs due to money and autonomy considerations. Los Angeles pivoted and hired Frank Vogel, who instantly won a title in 2020. That apparently was still not enough for Lakers management, who dismissed Vogel in 2022 after the team's horrific Russell Westbrook trade cratered its title chances. Vogel eventually took over Williams' job in Phoenix this past season, and lasted just one year before he, too, was dismissed.

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