For about two weeks, it’s been known that Monty Williams is seen as the top candidate for the Lakers next head coach by the Lakers front office.
But on the heels of a report from Marc Stein of the New York Times that the Phoenix Suns head job is Williams’ if he wants it, the Lakers may have to decide sooner than they expected.
Stein followed up that report with something most observers expected: that LeBron would be happiest if the Lakers choose to hire his former Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue.
However, perception may still be a sticking point for people in the Lakers front office, according to The Athletic’s Bill Oram.
However, there is a sensitivity within Lakers walls to the outside narrative that James and his representatives are calling the shots, and hiring Lue would do nothing to diminish those cries. The Lakers’ relationship with James is still new and evolving, and the organization is still learning how to cater to James without ceding power to him. Which category would hiring Lue fall into?
This question appears to weigh heavily on the minds of the Lakers and there’s also been plenty of outside pressure on the Lakers from the rest of the NBA community not to let James run the show. And James himself has also indicated a sensitivity to the perception that he’s the man in the shadow running the Lakers.
Clearly, there are a lot of fraught feelings surrounding the Lakers coaching situation that have been tough for everyone in the organization’s orbit to sort out. But a decision may soon be foisted upon by rival organizations trying to get their own houses in order.
