With the Detroit Pistons announcing their hiring of Stan Van Gundy as coach and team president, the list for potential candidates for the Lakers job opening are seemingly getting smaller.
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One popular name linked to become the new head coach for the Lakers has been UConn coach, Kevin Ollie. However, the Lakers have yet to contact Ollie regarding the position, according to Shams Charania of RealGM:
Despite the Los Angeles Lakers’ pursuit to fill their vacancy with a splashy and substantial figure, the franchise has yet to formally reach out to Ollie, a source told RealGM.
While the Lakers haven’t made an offer to Ollie, other NBA teams have via Charania:
Ollie heard inquiries from NBA teams in recent days, UConn’s plans to extend the freshly minted national championship coach have moved along, too.
Ollie remains one of the hottest candidates across the league after he lead the UConn Huskies to a NCAA national championship in just his second year on the job. In addition, Ollie is well respected within NBA circles and has a strong relationship with both LeBron James and Kevin Durant as a result of playing in both Cleveland and Oklahoma City.
As other teams are moving aggressively towards trying to lock down Ollie, the Lakers remain in no rush to land Ollie or any other candidate. With the draft lottery set to take place May 20, the Lakers will have a better idea of how to rebuild and what direction the team would like to take. It is possible the team could be waiting until then before increasing their search efforts.
Rumors and speculation concerning the Lakers will continue to go around as the off-season progresses. Whether or not the Lakers will decide to pursue Ollie remains to be seen.
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