2. Jason Kidd
If the Lakers made Jason Kidd their next head coach they would employ perhaps the three greatest playmakers of all-time, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Kidd, under one roof; no disrespect to Steve Nash and John Stockton. Kidd is also the ideal player that the Lakers hope their young playmaker Lonzo Ball can develop into and was the number one comparison for him when he entered the draft.
None of that makes him a good coach, but his essential osmosis of knowledge to Ball by proximity is intriguing enough to at least make him a potential candidate for the job. Kidd’s hall of fame level basketball IQ would also be enough for him to command LeBron’s respect and be able to call him out when needed, which is pretty much the most important aspect of this job right now.
Vegas also agrees, and had Kidd with the best odds to be the Lakers head coach next season, but that does not mean hiring him would immediately fix anything or would be the best option. He could not get along with either the Nets or the Bucks franchises, both of whom are currently better off without him there, and he never really had much success with them.
Sure, one could give him credit for helping develop Giannis Antetokounmpo, but you could also argue he should have won more with that freakish talent on the roster.
If they do pull the trigger, the Lakers would be firing Walton because he does not have the experience necessary to make this team a title contender right now and has never had any playoff success as a head coach. So why would they hire Jason Kidd, who in five seasons as a head coach only had three playoff appearances and one series win?
He is definitely an intriguing option for the Lakers to ponder, but in my opinion, is not much of an upgrade over what they already have in Walton. If the Lakers made this move it is because they simply want a different and more respected voice calling the shots.