The Los Angeles Lakers had an opening on the coaching staff when former assistant coach Jason Kidd departed for the head coaching role on the Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles didn’t take too long to find a replacement, as they reportedly were finalizing a deal Wednesday to add David Fizdale to the coaching staff.
Fizdale reportedly chose to join the Lakers over a more lucrative offer from the Indiana Pacers, who recently hired Rick Carlisle as the head coach.
Even though Fizdale should be a direct replacement for Kidd’s spot, the Lakers aren’t done with the coaching search just yet.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Lakers interviewed former Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks Friday:
The Lakers have interviewed former Wizards coach Scott Brooks for a potential spot on Frank Vogel's staff, league sources say.@espn reported last week that former Knicks and Grizzlies coach David Fizdale would soon join the Lakers after Jason Kidd's departure to coach Dallas.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 3, 2021
Brooks became an assistant in the NBA in 2003 when he joined the Denver Nuggets and eventually transitioned into the head coaching role with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 when the team relocated from Seattle.
Brooks was the head coach for the Wizards from 2016 to 2021 but a disappointing season this year ultimately led to both sides parting ways for a new start.
The Lakers currently have Lionel Hollins, Phil Handy, Miles Simon, Mike Penberthy and Quinton Crawford as assistant coaches.
[pickup_prop id=”8965″]
[vertical-gallery id=40179]
[mm-video type=video id=01f92nnpb314xvhsjrqn playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01f92nnpb314xvhsjrqn/01f92nnpb314xvhsjrqn-2cee183b9e633ee67a9b2c5ea2d7b9a3.jpg]