As Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka continues his head coaching search, Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams has emerged as a potential frontrunner.
Williams found moderate success as the former head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans with a 173-221 record and two playoff appearances.
And with Pelinka meeting with former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue to end the week, there is an interesting development.
As Pelinka has reportedly already met with Williams, there are expectations of a second meeting, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
“There is an expectation on both sides that Pelinka will have a second visit with the franchise’s other leading candidate, Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams, league sources said. Pelinka met with Williams on Tuesday in Philadelphia, and the conversation is expected to continue in the near future. The Sixers are leading the Brooklyn Nets 2-1 in an Eastern Conference playoff series.”
With a potential second meeting on the horizon, Pelinka must certainly feel good about Williams. Williams has also spent time coaching Team USA Basketball, which included developing a relationship with LeBron James during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Williams played for five different franchises in nine NBA seasons during the mid-1990s and early 2000s. Furthermore, Williams coached Anthony Davis during his last three seasons in New Orleans. It is unclear if a potential reunion could further persuade Davis to the Lakers as there were no reports of trouble between the two.
