Less than 24 hours ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Now, Luke Walton is headed to work as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA Draft is on Thursday, with free agency and the NBA Summer League following along shortly after. Associate head coach Brian Shaw and Jesse Mermuys were the first two additions to the Lakers’ staff, could Walton be adding a newly-retired friend on board?
Richard Jefferson won his first NBA Championship last night, then shortly after, retired from the game of basketball. Could Jefferson be sliding over to the coaches side of the bench?
Hearing Richard Jefferson is retiring..this would be another guy likely to join Luke Walton’s staff…high defensive IQ which is much needed
— Dave Miller (@coachdavemiller) June 20, 2016
Walton and Jefferson are close friends, but there are several questions to be answered. How credible is Miller’s report? He was first to report the addition of Mermuys to Walton’s staff, but trusting Miller as a news source is something to be cautious about.
Is Jefferson ready to make the jump from player to coach this fast? If he is, then what would he bring to the staff? Like the former TWC Sportsnet analyst said, Jefferson would bring a defensive mind to the Lakers bench, something Walton is yet to add. Jefferson would also bring a sense of leadership and personality to the Lakers locker room.
It’s best to take Miller’s report with a grain of salt and take a wait-and-see approach. Many new faces will be coming to Lakerland in the coming weeks, from Walton filling out his staff, to the draft and free agency. Keep track of it all here at LakersOutsiders.com and @LakersOutsiders on Twitter.
