NBA Rumors: Luke Walton Hires Agent, Leaving Golden State Warriors

NBA rumors are stating that Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton has hired the Wasserman Media Group to seek out head coaching opportunities for him, according to Hoops Rumors. That means that the highly coveted head coaching candidate could be leaving the Warriors after they are done with this season, unless Steve Kerr decides to walk away from his position.

The timing of the hiring is of interest because it enables Luke Walton to continue focusing on the Golden State Warriors and their quest to win the NBA Championship for the second year in a row while having people look around at job openings. Representatives from the Wasserman Media Group will surely be in contact with executives from the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, and possibly the Los Angeles Lakers over the next couple of months.

Golden State's Luke Walton has signed coaching representation with Wasserman Media Group, league sources tell The Vertical.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2016

Luke Walton is doing the wise move by seeking out opportunities right now. There are plenty of assistant coaches in the NBA over the years that have never rose to the rank of head coach. The Golden State Warriors are the hot team right now. If they win a second championship in a row, then NBA teams are going to try to take pieces of that pie for themselves, which means that Walton is going to be the top candidate for most franchises.

The New York Knicks just fired Derek Fisher this week, and they’re looking for a permanent guy to replace interim head coach Kurt Rambis. Knicks president Phil Jackson is said to be adamant about hiring one of his disciples to take over the job. Luke Walton spent seven years playing for Jackson and knows the vaunted Triangle Offense very well. That gives him the advantage to be the guy that leads Kristaps Porzingis to the NBA Playoffs.

Flip Saunders tragically died last year, and that left the Minnesota Timberwolves without their team president and head coach. Right now, Sam Mitchell, a former Timberwolves star himself, is currently running the ship, but it is said that Minnesota would not be opposed to looking for another candidate. Luke Walton might be enticed by the thought of coaching Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns, two of the better young players in the NBA.

The New Jersey Nets fired Lionel Hollins and made Tony Brown their interim head coach. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is reportedly interested in blowing up the organization and starting from scratch. Prokhorov is looking for a new head coach and new general manager. Since the Nets roster isn’t all that appealing, he might need to entice Luke Walton by offering him more power than the other NBA franchises are willing to concede.

Kevin McMahon was dismissed as the head coach of the Houston Rockets earlier this season, and the team is said to be looking for a better option next season. If he took the job, Luke Walton would have the luxury of having James Harden, one of the best scorers in the NBA, around as the centerpiece. Dwight Howard is still a good center, provided he doesn’t walk away via free agency. Plus, the Rockets are reportedly going to try to sign Kevin Durant in free agency.

The end of an era will come for the Los Angeles Lakers when the season ends and Kobe Bryant heads off into retirement. That could also spell the end of Byron Scott, as the head coach has struggled to get along with rookie guard D’Angelo Russell and second year forward Julius Randle, two high draft picks that are supposed to lead the Lakers into the future. Luke Walton would be a popular choice for the fan base since he played there for years. It could also lead to a shocking reunion with Phil Jackson.

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