Sources: Lakers to meet with 76ers’ Williams
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ senior management has plans to travel east to meet with Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams between Games 2 and 3 of the Sixers’ playoff series, league sources told ESPN.
General manager Rob Pelinka is spearheading the Lakers’ coaching search, in which Williams and former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Ty Lue are central candidates, league sources said.
The Lakers will interview Lue and Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard this week, too, sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. The Lakers received permission to interview Howard, sources told Shelburne.
Howard, who will also meet with Cleveland for its head-coaching opening, was a college teammate of Pelinka at the University of Michigan. After Game 2 on Monday night, the Sixers-Nets series has off days on Tuesday and Wednesday before resuming with Game 3 in Brooklyn on Thursday.
Williams returned to coaching this season as Brett Brown’s top assistant. He spent the previous two years in the San Antonio Spurs‘ front office after the death of his wife, Ingrid, in early 2016.
Williams left the Oklahoma City Thunder as associate head coach in the aftermath of his wife’s death. He and his children relocated to San Antonio, where Williams had extended family.
Before his time with the Thunder, Williams coached the New Orleans Pelicans for five seasons. He reached the playoffs in his first season (2010-11) and his last (2014-15).
He won a gold medal as part of Mike Krzyzewski’s USA Basketball coaching staff at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.