Head coach Mike D’Antoni resigned back on April 20 and even though there’s been seemingly endless rumors surrounding his potential replacement, the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to hire his successor.
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All signs point to Byron Scott becoming the next coach of the Lakers and now rumors are starting to surface about who might be on his coaching staff. Gary Payton has emerged as a candidate, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times:
Gary Payton, a candidate for Bucks coaching staff, is also a candidate for Lakers staff under likely new head coach Byron Scott.
— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) July 24, 2014
With no head coach in place, it is a little difficult to speculate about potential assistants for the coaching staff. Despite that being the case, if Payton is truly interested in becoming an assistant, landing in Los Angeles makes sense.
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Payton is a California native and had a good working relationship with Kobe Bryant during their short time together in Los Angeles. Payton joined the Lakers back in 2003 in the team’s attempt to build a superstar roster that included Kobe, Shaquille O’Neal, and Karl Malone.
Until Scott is hired or if the team decides to go in a different direction, there’s no telling who’ll be on the coaching staff next season. Payton could be an option, but it may be too early to tell.
[divide]Kobe Bryant’s message to Jeremy Lin
