With less than a week until the 2024 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers still haven't hired a head coach. It's a precarious position for Los Angeles to find itself in, as it's dangerously close to committing a cardinal sin ahead of a crucial opportunity to improve.
While JJ Redick is expected to become the next head coach of the Lakers, another name has emerged as a potentially ideal candidate: Monty Williams.
Williams was fired on June 19 after one season as head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Williams, who has been linked to the Lakers in the past, is seemingly now available for negotiations should general manager Rob Pelinka view him as an ideal candidate once more.
On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, the four-time NBA champion cited the relationship between Anthony Davis and Williams as a reason the Lakers should consider hiring the free-agent coach.
"Anthony Davis loved Monty Williams when he played for him in New Orleans. So you ask yourself: Should the Lakers consider Monty Williams? And I say, of course, you gotta consider him. Especially with that tie."
It's an intriguing point that Green makes, especially when one considers how Davis' relationship with James Borrego has played into the current state of the coaching search.
It was reported early in the process that Davis has a positive relationship with Borrego. As such, it's no surprise that he's been one of the top three favorites for the job, even if arguably behind the likes of Dan Hurley and JJ Redick.
Considering Williams' relationship with Davis is perhaps more extensive than Borrego's due to the amount of time they spent together in New Orleans, it's fair to question if he'll now head to the front of the line.
It's been reported that the Lakers are prioritizing Davis over LeBron James in the coaching search. It's a logical approach considering Davis is 31, while James will turn 40 within the first few months of the 2024-25 regular season—and is also eligible for free agency.
If the priority is to find a head coach who can bring the best out of Davis, then it's fair to wonder if Williams is an even better option than Redick.
That thought isn't a slight against Redick, but instead an acknowledgment of the fact that Williams has already coached Davis. In addition to ending a four-year postseason drought together, coach Williams helped Davis earn All-NBA First Team honors in 2014-15.
As Green sees it, the Lakers should at least consider hiring Williams for the most high-profile coaching vacancy in American sports. It's hard to disagree.