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The Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with head coach Byron Scott after back-to-back franchise-worst seasons and will now take the coaching carousel for a spin. The franchise plans on working through a long list of candidates before making a decision on the next figure to lead the team, but it remains to be seen how amicable the remaining top-tier candidates are in making a big move to Los Angeles.
University of Connecut's Kevin Ollie was a name whispered prior to the hiring of Byron Scott and will once again be in the mix. Ollie has a prestigious job with one of the best programs in college, but "would be interested" in taking the wheel for the Lakers, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Ollie won a national championship in 2014 with UConn years after playing for the program in college, but has ties to Southern California after growing up in South Central Los Angeles.
The transition for Ollie becomes easier logistically because of this detail in his contract with the Huskies, as reported by Medina:
Ollie has three years left on his contract with UConn worth $400,000 after signing a five-year extension in 2014. But with former Huskies athletic director Warde Manuel leaving for the University of Michigan earlier this season, Ollie has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for another team without incurring fees from a buyout, according to sources familiar with the deal. A source added, however, those terms would not go into effect until March, 2017, though the costs are believed to be relatively nominal.
Another name that's popped up who could have interest in making a return to L.A. is Derek Fisher, who was relieved of his duties with the New York Knicks mid-season. Fisher would also be "interested" in coaching the Lakers, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Names are going to be thrown into the air left and right, but the big takeaway less than one full day after Scott's dismissal is at least one of the top-flight candidates in Ollie might be interested enough to hear what the Lakers have to say.