Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson and former Nets coach Lionel Hollins have been informed that they are among the head coaches on the Lakers' radar, league sources confirmed to SNY.
The Lakers' coaching search re-opened earlier this week when negotiations between Tyronn Lue and Los Angeles reportedly fell apart.
The organization communicated its interest in both Woodson and Hollins in the wake of things falling apart with Lue, per sources. It is unknown if a meeting between the Lakers, and either coach has been scheduled yet.
Woodson was the last coach to win a playoff series with the Knicks, leading New York to a first-round series win over the Boston Celtics in 2013 -- its only playoff series win in the last 18 years.
After a strong run in Memphis, Hollins was hired by the Nets in 2014-15. That club won 38 games and Hollins was let go midway through the next season.
Woodson's 2012-13 Knicks played to the modern style of the NBA -- leading the league in 3-pointers attempted per game and finishing third in 3-point percentage. Led by MVP candidate Carmelo Anthony, defensive player of the year Tyson Chandler and Sixth Man of the Year, J.R. Smith, the Knicks finished with the lowest per-game turnover rate in the league en route to 54 wins.
Woodson was fired after the following season - an injury-marred 37-win campaign - when Phil Jackson took over as team president. He interviewed for the Knicks' head coaching vacancy last season.
The situation in Los Angeles has been depicted and derided in the wake of the breakdown in negotiations with Lue. It will be interesting to see which direction the Lakers go with their next head coach, who will inherit a roster led by LeBron James.
The Lakers' interest in Woodson and Hollins was first reported by The Athletic.
