Ahead of free agency, there has already been a lot of movement along the sidelines as several coaching vacancies have been filled.
Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups highlighted the new head coaching hires as the former guards landed with the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively. However, the assistant coaching carousel has kept spinning as the Los Angeles Lakers were able to replace Kidd with former Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale.
Fizdale is a solid hire for the Lakers as he was widely credited for the Miami Heat’s transformation on offense and already has a great relationship with LeBron James. On the other side of Staples Center, the L.A. Clippers find themselves with holes on their bench after Billups’ departure.
However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Clippers are zeroing in on a former Lakers player and coach to replace Billups:
The Los Angeles Clippers are in serious talks to hire NBA G League Ignite coach Brian Shaw as an assistant coach on Ty Lue’s staff, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 15, 2021
Shaw spent this past season with the G-League Ignite, a team that serves as a gateway to the NBA and was headlined by top draft prospects such as Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga. Prior to that, Shaw spent 11 seasons as an assistant in the league with the Lakers and Indiana Pacers and later spent two seasons as the Denver Nuggets head coach.
It makes sense for the Clippers to target Shaw as he and head coach Tyronn Lue were teammates with the Lakers and have a solid relationship. Shaw also has experience coaching Paul George when he was an assistant with the Pacers and the All-Star has largely credited Shaw for his development.
Although nothing is finalized yet, it seems likely that Shaw will return to the NBA sidelines and Staples Center, albeit not with the Purple and Gold.
Scott Brooks interviews with Lakers but takes Trail Blazers job
The Blazers did not stop at Billups’ hiring as they also agreed to a deal with former Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks to become their new lead assistant coach. The Lakers interviewed Brooks for an assistant role, but he opted for a presumably larger role with the Blazers instead. Lionel Hollins interviewed with Portland, but it appears he will be staying in Los Angeles.
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