Lakers News: LA Head Coach Contender Now Leading Candidate for Another Job

As the Lakers wait to make a choice, big names could be going off the board.

Dec 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reacts after scoring three point basket against the Phoenix Suns with forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) during the second half of the In Season Tournament quarterfinal at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to hold off on officially hiring a new head coach. They're moving at a near-snail's pace compared to a lot of other franchises. Since L.A. hired Darvin Ham, the Phoenix Suns fired Frank Vogel and hired Mike Budenholzer (a potential Lakers fit); the Charlotte Hornets have hired ex-Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee (another rumored L.A. coach); and the Cleveland Cavaliers have fired J.B. Bickerstaff.

Now, the Cavs, Lakers and Washington Wizards are the only three vacancies on the market presently. But it sure sounds like Cleveland majority owner Dan Gilbert is nearing a decision on his Bickerstaff replacement.

Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports that Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is considered the top contender for the Cleveland job, reiterating a separate report from last week. Atkinson is another of the top prospects in the Lakers' own coaching search so far. Tom Thibodeau's New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is also still in the hunt for the gig.

Atkinson's only head coaching experience was with a scrappy Brooklyn Nets squad from 2016-20. He posted a 118-90 overall win-loss record across parts of four regular seasons, and did not survive his first season with the doomed Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving iteration of the franchise in that 2019-20 season, resigning after 62 games.

Los Angeles fired former head coach Darvin Ham after just two seasons. Ham led L.A. to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, which in retrospect feels like pretty much the ceiling for this roster. It's unclear how much better even the best coach can make the Lakers in a crowded, young, sharpshooting West.

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