The search for the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers is officially underway. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the remaining members of the Lakers’ brass plan to meet with Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams for the head coach position next week between Games 2 and 3 of the NBA Playoffs.
Williams is currently serving as Brett Brown’s top assistant coach in Philadelphia, but he has a few years of experience as a head coach under his belt. Williams served as the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets — later renamed the Pelicans — from 2010 to 2015. During that time, he led New Orleans to two playoff berths with the help of a young Anthony Davis.
Williams’ relationship with Davis is one of the biggest things he has working in his favor. While he has no control over where Davis is traded this summer, he could help recruit Davis to the Lakers in 2020, when Davis expected to hit unrestricted free agency. Davis isn’t the only impending superstar free agent Williams has ties to, though.
Having served as an executive with the Spurs for two years, Williams has a relationship with Kawhi Leonard. The extent of the relationship is unknown, but at the very least they’re familiar with each other.
It’s also worth noting that Williams served as the associated head coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2015-16 season, which was also Kevin Durant’s last season with the team. Williams was also one of Durant’s assistants for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2016 Olympic Games. Unlike Williams’ relationship with Leonard, the mutual respect between Williams and Durant is well-documented.
Going into a summer where the Lakers will try and pair LeBron James with an All-Star in free agency, Williams’ rapport with superstar players could overshadow the question marks surrounding his ability as a coach and make him the favorite to land the job.
