The Lakers have already added some big names to their coaching staff, but they’re trying to beef it up even more — at the expense of the current best in the West.
They have received permission to speak with Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams about a position on their staff, according to ESPN.
Adams, one of the top assistants in the NBA, has been on Golden State’s staff for the past five seasons since Steve Kerr took over as head coach for the 2014-15 season. He’s been an NBA assistant coach for 25 seasons with seven different teams. Adams was an NCAA head coach with Fresno State and was an assistant on Jerry Tarkanian’s staff at UNLV.
The report says it’s unclear how interested Adams is in the job, but money could be a factor.
The Lakers have been building an experienced staff after parting ways with Luke Walton. In May, they hired former Pacers and Magic coach Frank Vogel as its new head coach. He was paired with former Nets coach and star Jason Kidd, who reportedly will be the highest-paid assistant in the NBA. The Lakers also added Kidd’s successor as Brooklyn’s head coach, Lionel Hollins, to the staff.
It’s clear how desperate the Lakers are to maximize the time they have with LeBron James before he gets older. They dealt major assets to acquire Anthony Davis from New Orleans and are hoping to have enough cap space to add a max free agent this summer.