Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had promised heading into the summer that the team will take a methodical approach to hiring a new coach, and he wasn't kidding.
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Kupchak has remained firm that the Lakers are in no rush to find Mike D'Antoni's successor, and they are weighing all possible options. D'Antoni resigned as L.A.'s coach following this season after the team decided it was leaning towards bringing him back but wouldn't pick up his option for 2015-16.
Not wanting to be a lame duck coach and face the same questions about his job status over again as he did during the Laker's struggles this season, D'Antoni opted to take a $2 million buyout and to resign with a year still left on his deal.
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Now, Los Angeles has shifted gears and is looking to find a new coach, a process which Kupchak has vowed could take some time.
While it's a slow process, the team has already interviewed some candidates to take over for D'Antoni, including Byron Scott and Lionel Hollins, though a decision won't be made on who the Lakers will bring in for some time.
Kobe Bryant has been publicly adamant that he wants a say in who the team hires, as his career is winding down and he is searching for a sixth championship ring.
Derek Fisher has been a name that has popped up as a potential NBA coach now that the guard and the Oklahoma City Thunder were ousted by the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Finals.
Fisher has been linked to the Knicks, and New York president Phil Jackson even got fined $25,000 by the NBA for tampering with the guard during the playoffs, and the Lakers may now decide to speak with him. It all depends on if Fisher is ready to retire from his playing career and become a coach.
There have also been reports that Scott Skiles and Larry Brown are on the team's radar:
We hear Lakers do plan to speak with Derek Fisher this week. Also Scott Skiles and Larry Brown at some point.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 2, 2014
Lakers determined to cast very wide net and take their time w/ coaching search. This could take weeks still. And really, what's the rush? — Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 2, 2014
The Lakers could use candidates like Skiles and Brown since they are defensive-minded and have a lot of experience. The Lakers coaching search could take weeks, but the team plans on exhausting every option and interviewing every possible candidate before making a decision.
Los Angeles hopes a new leader will help the team bounce back from a franchise-worst 27-55 finish this season, where it missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
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