After setting the best season record in NBA history at 73-9, the Golden State Warriors now have their sights firmly set on winning the championship for a second straight year. One outlier, assistant coach Luke Walton, may have his sights set on something else too: His future.
After guiding the Warriors to a phenomenal 39-4 start, Walton has registered league-wide interest from several teams in need of a new head coach. One of those teams, the New York Knicks, are said to be considering a replacement for Kurt Rambis ahead of free agency. While interim head coach Kurt Rambis has support from Knicks’ President Phil Jackson, his support from the Knicks’ players is an entirely different story.
With that being said, the Warriors know Luke Walton will have plenty of suitors lining up in hopes of acquiring his services this spring. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the team is willing to allow Walton to interview for a head coaching position, specifically in this case with Knicks President Phil Jackson:
If Knicks president Phil Jackson wanted to talk to Warriors stud assistant Luke Walton during their expected long playoff run, Golden State would not stand in the way, according to an NBA source.
Golden State’s position is that an assistant can interview for a head-coaching position “as long as it does not interfere with the team’s preparation during the playoffs,’’ the source said. For instance, an interview would need to happen in the Oakland, Calif., area at a convenient time with the club enjoying a couple of days off.
It’s unclear if Walton will want to grant any interviews as the Warriors embark on defending their title after breaking the record for best overall record with 73 wins, topping Jackson’s 1995-96 Bulls.
Jackson said he soon will embark on a narrow coaching search with coaches he “already knows.” He made a reference the search could go on until July, presumably referring to after Walton is done with The Finals.
Luke Walton, a two-time champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, joined the Warriors’ coaching staff in 2014 after a brief stint with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2011. With head coach Steve Kerr undergoing back surgery and missing the first 43 games of the season, Walton stepped into the head coaching role in a much-needed time, helping the Warriors jumpstart their historic roller coaster ride to 73 wins.
Several teams are expected to pursue Walton in hopes of prying him away from the Warriors, including the Knicks, Nets, Suns, and Lakers.
