It's time for the 2019 Lakers' coaching search to officially begin — again.
After talks between the Lakers and Tyronn Lue hit a snag Wednesday and ultimately fell apart, Los Angeles is heading back to the drawing board. Lue and Monty Williams were two of LA's top initial candidates to replace Luke Walton, but now that Lue has removed himself from the equation and Williams has signed a contract with the Suns, there aren't many big names on the market. Still, the show must go on.
MORE: How Lakers lost Lue and extended embarrassing coaching search
The Lakers must find a coach capable of cutting out the toxicity that invaded the locker room this past season. It also wouldn't hurt if that coach happened to have a solid relationship with LeBron James, who will be entering Year 2 of a four-year contract this fall.
Who will take over in LA and end this silly coaching saga? Let's rank the candidates. (Note: These aren't the best options. This list is based on multiple reports following the end of Lue's conversations with the team.)
5. Mike Woodson
Give Woodson credit for his two 50-win seasons (with the Hawks in 2009-10 and the Knicks in 2012-13), but this hire would not inspire the fan base.
Woodson last served as a head coach in New York during the 2013-14 season and was fired by Phil Jackson after the Knicks finished 37-45. He then joined the Clippers as an assistant under Doc Rivers from 2014-18, but he has been out of the basketball world for the last year. Would the Lakers trust him to suddenly handle one of the most pressure-filled jobs in professional sports?
There is also the question of how Woodson would work with James. It's not too difficult to imagine a few moments in the huddle playing out like this...
4. Lionel Hollins
Hollins found some success with the Grizzlies, reaching the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2010-13. Despite Hollins' 56-26 run and a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2013, the Grizzlies did not renew his contract because of "philosophical differences" with team ownership. His next stint with the Nets didn't go nearly as well — he was fired after only 119 total games.
Similar issues arise here. Hollins hasn't coached in any capacity since 2016, and he has never dealt with the kind of scrutiny he'd face in Los Angeles. It might not be a great fit, but Hollins does have Lakers advisor Kurt Rambis in his corner, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Here’s @wojespn with what happened with Lue and the @Lakers pic.twitter.com/zSCKCr94Hr
— Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) May 9, 2019
3. Jason Kidd
The Lakers reached out to the Hall of Fame point guard during the season to gauge his interest in becoming the head coach, according to The Athletic's Frank Isola, though a team official disputed that report. He was then considered as an assistant coach as part of Lue's staff before Lue backed away. He has been attached to the Lakers for quite some time.
One reason why Kidd is in the race despite an unremarkable 183-190 record as coach of the Nets and Bucks: he's got the LeBron bump. Back in 2013 when Kidd was hired by Brooklyn, James went out of his way to heap praise upon his former Olympic teammate.
"I think it’s amazing, honestly," James said at the time. "J-Kidd is unbelievable, one of the best teammates I ever played with. On the ’08 Olympic team, he was one of the best friends I would have, on and off the floor. He’s a student of the game. His basketball IQ is crazy and I think it’s going to make it an easy transition for him to be a coach. It’s a great thing for him."
Maybe James would approve of this hire, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks suddenly becoming a contender after Kidd left should be a red flag.
2. Frank Vogel
Vogel managed Pacers teams that battled James during his Heat years harder than any other contender in the East. He finished 250-181 (.580 winning percentage) over six seasons in Indiana, but his two-year run in Orlando dramatically dropped his stock (54-110, .329 winning percentage).
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka were scheduled to interview Vogel on Thursday, so he's definitely in the hunt. But he comes off as just another retread, which is why a fresh voice is ranked one spot ahead of him.
1. Juwan Howard
The Heat assistant does not have any head-coaching experience, so yes, this could be a rough transition. But Howard, who played nearly two decades in the league, seems to have a good reputation and, more importantly, he has a history with LeBron.
From Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus:
Howard is one of many assistants around the league deserving of a promotion, but is he ready for everything that comes with coaching James and the Lakers? The Lakers job may eat an inexperienced coach alive, but he might get that chance should James and Pelinka both believe he's ready for the challenge.
James may not mind a first-year coach if it's one he knows and trusts. He won two championships with James in Miami and made the move to the bench in James' final year with the Heat.
Why not try something new? How about injecting a little energy into the franchise with a guy hoping to prove himself?
It's time for a new era in Los Angeles. Howard could be the coach to turn things around.
