Lakers Rumors: J.B. Bickerstaff To Join Luke Walton’s Coaching Staff?

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read

Houston Rockets interim Coach J.B Bickerstaff has informed team officials that he is withdrawing his name from consideration to become the club’s head coach. He is instead is focusing on finding a lead assistant position.

Bickerstaff, son of former Lakers assistant coach (and interim head coach) Bernie, took over as interim head coach of the Rockets after the dismissal of Kevin McHale. While Bickerstaff did what he could to salvage the season, Houston squeaked into the playoffs as the eighth seed and was quickly dispatched by the Golden State Warriors.

According to Calvin Watkins of ESPN, Bickerstaff’s goal of landing an assistant position could lead him to Luke Walton and the Los Angeles Lakers:

If JB Bickerstaff doesn’t remain with the Rockets in any capacity he could join the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff. Bickerstaff has a good relationship with newly hired coach Luke Walton.

While Walton is currently focused on helping the Warriors win a second consecutive championship, he is reportedly starting to compile a list of assistants he would like to consider for his staff, which could also include former-Laker Brian Shaw.

Walton’s meteoric rise up the coaching ranks landed him on top of the Lakers’ list of candidates who could replace Byron Scott. Signing him has been seen as something of a coup for Los Angeles, but there are still some concerns regarding his relative lack of experience.

To remedy this, Walton will look to recruit a veteran staff of assistants. Candidates are just beginning to emerge, but with respected names like Bickerstaff and Shaw in the mix, it would appear that Walton is already on the right track.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com