Luke Walton Is Reportedly The ‘Clear Frontrunner’ For The Kings Coaching Vacancy If He’s Available


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The Sacramento Kings turned heads on Thursday morning when reports indicated that head coach Dave Joerger was on the verge of getting fired by general manager Vlade Divac. That eventually came to fruition, and following Joerger’s three years at the helm, the question becomes where the Kings will turn in their pursuit of a new coach.

It’s not hard to see how this would be a potentially fun job — Sacramento exceeded expectations by winning 39 games this season and finishing in ninth place in the Western Conference behind a young and exciting core. If Divac has his way, reports indicate that Los Angeles Lakers coach Luke Walton may be the man for the job, with Sam Amick of The Athletic calling him the “clear frontrunner” under the obvious caveat that he has to be available.

But of course, because so much is in flux in Sacramento right now and because Walton still has a job in L.A., writing his name down in pen as the next head coach is premature. Walton is hardly the only candidate, as names like Williams and Spurs assistant Ettore Messina have popped up as potential candidates, too.

Despite the weirdness and suddenness that is Joerger’s ouster, there’s a foundation in place that could end up making this an appealing gig. Who knows what direction they’ll end up going in, but when it comes to how the team is built, it’s reasonable to think the next coach could be the one to lead Sacramento back to the postseason.