Warriors Grant Lakers Permission to Interview Luke Walton

Prior to Wednesday night’s series-clinching win, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that the Los Angeles Lakers had requested and been granted permission to interview assistant coach Luke Walton.

The Lakers must fill their now-vacant head coaching position after parting ways with Byron Scott last Sunday.

Walton will chat with his former team prior to the start of the postseason’s second round.

Per the AP:

Golden State coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday before Game 5 of the playoffs against Houston that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak contacted Warriors GM Bob Myers, who said Walton could interview once the first-round series is done. The Warriors held a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series going into Wednesday.

 

“Mitch has called Bob and we’ve told Mitch he’s perfectly welcome to talk to Luke as soon as this series is over and we have a little break,” Kerr said.

 

The 36-year-old Walton, who won two championships during his nine seasons playing for the Lakers, guided defending champion Golden State to a record 24-0 start this season while filling in for Kerr when the coach was on a leave of absence following complications from two back surgeries. Overall, Walton was 39-4 while Kerr was out, and he finished eighth in Coach of the Year voting. […] “It is impressive for an assistant coach. I think he should have been higher,” Golden State power forward Draymond Green said.

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