Los Angeles Lakers Hire Luke Walton As Head Coach

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton has agreed to become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Bleacher Report senior writer Kevin Ding. The Warriors granted Walton, a former Laker and two-time NBA champion (2009, 2010), permission to speak with the Lakers organization on Thursday, April 28, and a decision was promptly reached.

Lakers have agreed to terms with Luke Walton to be their next head coach, according to team sources.

— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) April 30, 2016

Walton was hired in Golden State prior to the Warriors’ 2014-15 championship campaign. During Kerr’s extended absence this season, he coached the Warriors to a 39-4 record, starting with 24 straight wins. The Warriors finished with the best regular season record in NBA history (73-9) and Walton received a handful of votes for Coach of the Year.

In Los Angeles, he will replace Byron Scott, who coached the team to a 38-126 record over the course of two seasons and was fired on April 25. Other hire profile candidates to fill the coaching vacancy included former Cavaliers head coach David Blatt and San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina.