The Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of having their worst record in franchise history, and head coach Mike D'Antoni is expected to be sacked this summer.
The Lakers, who will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2004-05 season, currently hold a 24-46 record, and if they will not turn the tables around in their final 12 games, they won't surpass the 30-52 card recorded by the 1974-74 Lakers squad.
Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant reportedly wants a new coach this summer, and a Latino Post report indicated that Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, Jerry Sloan, Lionel Hollins, and Vinny Del Negro could be considered to replace D'Antoni in the offseason.
According to the report, Van Gundy could be the top candidate to take the head-coaching post should the Lakers decide to fire D'Antoni after the season.
Van Gundy, who is currently a color commentator for ESPN, is no stranger to handling a big market team like the Lakers after coaching the Knicks from 1996 to 2001, leading the team to a final appearance in 1999.
Karl could also be in the running for the Lakers coaching job this summer. The veteran coach led the Seattle Supersonics to the 1996 NBA Finals, while also guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to several winning seasons.
The 62-year-old coach previously handled the Denver Nuggets, but was fired last year, despite leading the team to a 57-win season and being named as the 2013 Coach of the Year. Karl ended his nine-year stint in Denver with an impressive 423-257 record, reaching the playoffs in all nine seasons.
Sloan, who holds a 1,221-803 record as coach, is also on the list of possible replacements. The 72-year-old coach has also shown the ability to handle a high-profile team, but it is still unknown at this point whether or not the former Utah Jazz coach is still interested in returning to coaching.
Hollins and Del Negro was also named as possible replacement after both coaches impressed during their stints with the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.
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