The Los Angeles Lakers are not in a rush in hiring a new head coach, but reports indicated that Derek Fisher, George Karl, Larry Brown, and Scott Skiles are now also in the running for the coaching vacancy.
ESPN reported that New York Knicks president Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher are scheduled to meet this week to talk about the Knicks coaching vacancy, but the Lakers are also planning to get into the picture.
Sources indicated that the Lakers are also interested in the former Laker, who spent this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who recently lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Fisher, who spent 13 seasons in Los Angeles, is interested in becoming a head coach once he retires as player, but the 39-year-old point guard is still undecided on what he intends to do this summer.
"I'm still struggling with the results of the series," Fisher said of their loss to the Spurs. "I haven't [had] a chance to talk to my wife and kind of step back emotionally from the end of the season. That's important to do, so that whatever is next, there has to be a separation from the end of the season and what just happened and then I can go from there."
Aside from Fisher, the Lakers also sat down with veteran coach George Karl, and will reportedly discuss the coaching vacancy with Scott Skiles and former NBA champion coach Larry Brown, who is currently coaching in the collegiate ranks with SMU.
The Lakers also previously talked to Byron Scott, Mike Dunleavy, Lionel Hollins, and Kurt Rambis.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said that they will evaluate all of their options before naming a coach, who will be tasked to handle a squad aiming to become a title contender again next season after a disastrous campaign this year.
"I have to say we're leaning toward the type of the coach we would want (and) I would say there would be experience involved, certainly on some level, but not necessarily," Kupchak said via USA Today. "There's no urgency right now, so it will be a more deliberate process."
