After the Los Angeles Lakers ended contract negotiations with former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, they have quickly resumed their head coaching search.
As former Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel was a candidate to become Lue’s lead assistant coach, he was the first to interview for the head coaching job.
Along with Vogel, the Lakers reportedly added former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and former New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson to their list.
Now, another former Grizzlies head coach has emerged as a potential candidate, according to Brad Turner of Los Angeles Times:
The Lakers will continue their search for a new coach by interviewing J.B. Bickerstaff on Friday at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, according to several people who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
JB Bickerstaff, who is the son of former interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff (4-1 record during the 2012-13 NBA season), is the former Houston Rockets and Grizzlies head coach. Through Bickerstaff’s three seasons, he has an 85-131 record and coached the Rockets to a first round exit in the 2016 NBA playoffs.
After Lue and Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams were considered the frontrunners from the start, the candidate the Lakers ultimately hire will essentially be their third choice. As the Lakers reportedly only offered Lue a three-year deal and tried to choose his coaching staff, it will be interesting to see if any of these candidates accept those terms.