Jason Kidd mentioned as ‘serious candidate’ for Lakers coaching job

MANILA, Philippines – With the Los Angeles Lakers embracing the inevitable path away from the playoffs, team management is already looking forward to the next season.

And the first rumored order of business is tapping basketball legend Jason Kidd as a replacement head coach if ever Luke Walton is let go, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Kidd will be among the serious candidates for the Lakers coaching job if Luke Walton is dismissed, league sources tell ESPN. That’s expected to give Kidd some pause on pursuing the Cal opening now. https://t.co/mm1SHCcVNJ

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 24, 2019

It hasn’t been an easy ride this season for Walton, who struggled to make necessary adjustments amid a plethora of injuries to key cogs like LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. 

As a result, the Lakers are now sitting at a 32-41 record, good for 11th place in the tough Western Conference.

However, it’s not all a bed of roses for Kidd, either, who has struggled to convert his Hall of Fame basketball IQ to consistent success for his two coaching stops so far – the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

After one year with the Nets and three-and-a-half with the Bucks, he has amassed a 183-190 (49.1%) record, never winning more than 44 games in a season.

Since being fired from Milwaukee mid-2017, Kidd has been out of a job while the Bucks and Nets have flourished as surefire playoff contenders under new leadership. 

However, time will tell if Kidd’s third team is the charm or if that team will even pull the trigger on his services.

For the sixth straight postseason, the Lakers will have a long summer to think about it. – Rappler.com