Luke Walton interviews for Knicks and Nets head coaching jobs, Lakers 'in play'

Update: Luke Walton has told Phil Jackson he is not currently interested in the New York Knicks job, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola also reports that the Lakers "could be in play" for Walton.

Original story as follows.

With each passing day, it appears more and more likely that the Los Angeles Lakers will retain Byron Scott as their head coach heading in to the 2016-17 season. Former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks is reportedly interested in the job if it opens up, but another top candidate may be off the market before the Lakers get a chance to talk with him should they decide to move on from Scott.

After guiding the Warriors to a 39-4 record in his head coaching debut when stepping in while Steve Kerr recovered from back surgery earlier this year, Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton is expected to be one of the hottest head coaching candidates on the market this offseason

The former Lakers forward has begun to interview for full-time head coaching positions, beginning the process with interviews for the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks jobs, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

However, it's not a done deal Walton accepts the Knicks job, or any head coaching job at all:

A league source said Walton could stay with the Warriors another season, and he isn't close to deciding what to do.

"It's going to be a long, deliberate process,'' the source said.

Jackson said Thursday he would conduct a narrow coaching search confined to people he knows. Walton — who played in Los Angeles from 2003-11, when he won two titles and played in four NBA Finals — is considered to have been one of Jackson's favorite players with the Lakers.

Walton is considered a long shot to want the Knicks job as he is a West Coast product, having grown up in Southern California and played at Arizona. But a source said he is considering it because of the "uniqueness" of working for Jackson.

The Warriors may be giving Walton permission to interview for jobs during their (likely extended) playoff run, but he most likely won't accept such a job until closer to the end of the postseason. The Lakers may just keep Scott and render all of this moot, but if they delay the process much longer, they may miss out on one of the offseason's top coaching options.

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