Woj: Kings Offer Head Coach Job To Luke Walton
Apr 13, 2019, 1:11 PM | Updated: 1:18 pm
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Sacramento Kings appear to be wasting little time in finding a replacement for Dave Joerger, who was fired on Thursday. According to Woj, the Kings have extended an offer to former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton.
Sacramento GM Vlade Divac is offering Luke Walton his franchise’s coaching job and there’s confidence on both sides that a deal can be reached quickly, league sources tell ESPN. Divac and Walton are meeting this weekend.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 13, 2019
Less than 24 hours after Walton was fired by the Lakers, the Kings reportedly requested to interview the 39-year-old. Both sides are confident a deal will be reached quickly. General manager Vlade Divac was interested in Walton back in 2016 but Walton signed with the Lakers which led to the Kings hiring Joerger.
The Sacramento Kings could have a new head coach by the end of this weekend & that coach will be Luke Walton – according to sources.
This coaching search moving quicker than the one that led to Dave Joerger is because Vlade Divac is hiring Walton, who he wanted back in 2016
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) April 13, 2019
Walton has coached in the NBA for four seasons, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 39-4 record in 2016 when Steve Kerr wasn’t with the team due to back surgery problems. He then went to the Lakers where he coached three seasons and took a Lakers team that had won 17 games in 2016 to a 26 win season in 2017 and followed that up with 35 and 37 wins in 2018 and 2019. Walton has a career record of 98-148 which excludes the 39-4 record with the Warriors, since he wasn’t officially the teams head coach.