Report: Lakers could hire well-known ex-NBA head coach as assistant

Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers may be trying to build a dream team of sorts on the staff of their new head coach.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic said on his YouTube channel this week that the Lakers could be targeting former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts as an assistant. Buha noted that the Lakers had previously looked at Stotts as a potential offensive coordinator and added that they might circle back to him again as they look to build a more experienced staff.

Stotts, 66, has over a decade-and-a-half of experience as an NBA assistant with four different teams (including the Dallas Mavericks, whom he won the 2011 NBA title with). He also previously served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks (from 2002-04), the Milwaukee Bucks (from 2005-07), and the Trail Blazers (from 2012-21). Stotts holds an overall head coaching record of 517-486 (.515) with nine playoff appearances and one conference finals berth.

Granted, Stotts’ most recent NBA job (as an assistant for the Bucks last season) did not exactly go very smoothly. But with the Lakers potentially about to hire a rookie head coach, someone with Stotts’ pedigree may be exactly who they need to fill out their coaching staff with.

H/T HoopsHype