Former Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton is joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in an assistant role. The franchise officially confirmed the move on Tuesday.

Walton has familiarity with the Cavaliers’ organization, having played his final two seasons in NBA in Cleveland.

“It’s rare when you can strengthen your staff with someone of similar experiences and a passion for the game of basketball,” said Cavs’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in a team-released statement. “Luke is someone who identifies with our five core values as a coach, but also traits he was recognized for as a player, both in college and the NBA.”

Luke Walton had his first coaching experience while still an active player. During a 2011 NBA lockout, Walton served as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. After retiring from playing in 2013, Walton decided to pursue coaching full-time and joined the Lakers’ NBA Development League affiliate.

Walton then joined the Golden State Warriors in 2014 to work under Steve Kerr. The Warriors also gave him his first taste of head coaching at the start of the 2015-16 season, as he stepped in for Kerr, who took a lengthy leave of absence due to back issues. In games Walton served as head coach, Golden State went 39–4.

Walton’s great job with the Warriors prompted the Lakers to hire him as his head coach ahead of the 2016-17 season. However, he failed to bring the same success to LA and was fired after missing the playoffs in all three seasons in charge.

The most recent job Walton had was with the Kings, where he also failed to make the postseason in two seasons and was fired after a 6-11 start in 2021-22.

The post Cavs Hire Ex-Kings Head Coach Luke Walton as an Assistant appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Sacramento Kings decided to fire their head coach Luke Walton. The franchise officially announced the move on Sunday. The Kings also confirmed that associate head coach Alvin Gentry will take over the team on an interim basis. Gentry joined the Kings organization in 2020 after parting ways with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Walton is out after the Kings struggled so far in 2021-22 despite having high hopes ahead of the season. The team lost seven out of their last eight games and currently owns a 6-11 record. That was enough for the No. 12 in the Western Conference.

Speaking about the decision, general manager Monte McNair said that Walton is not the only one to blame for the Kings’ poor performances.

“We all know all of us have to be better, especially over the last two weeks,” McNair said via ESPN. “We’re not meeting expectations. That’s not just on Luke. That’s on me, the rest of our coaches, and players. Everyone acknowledges that.”

Reportedly, Gentry is expected to stay at the helm at least until the end of 2021-22. Based on the results, the team will then decide in the offseason whether to remove the interim tag or embark on a search for a new head coach.

“I think we have the talent,” McNair added. “We’ve shown that we can do that. We’re going to get back to that, and Alvin will be the guy to lead us there.”

Luke Walton was hired as Sacramento’s head coach ahead of the 2019–20 season following a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. Walton compiled a 68-93 record during his time with the Kings while the team missed the playoffs in both of his two full seasons in charge.

The post Kings Fire Head Coach Luke Walton after 6-11 Start appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Alvin Gentry didn’t stay unemployed for too long after being fired as New Orleans Pelicans’ head coach back in August. According to multiple reports around the league, Gentry agreed to join Sacramento Kings’ organization.

NY Times‘ Marc Stein reports that Gentry will become an associate coach with Kings, where he will re-join with Luke Walton. The two previously collaborate under Steve Kerr at Golden State Warriors.

Stein added that Gentry was also in the mix for the same position with Philadelphia 76ers as part of the coaching core build by the team’s new head coach Doc Rivers.

Gentry joins an underachieving Sacramento Kings’ organization that finished the 2019/20 season, first under Walton, with a 31-41 record. Kings failed to make the playoffs in the past 14 seasons, which is the longest active drought in the NBA.

 Alvin Gentry spent five seasons with New Orleans, posting a 175-225 record during his tenure. He left the franchise as the second-winningest head coach in the franchise history, behind Byron Scott, and with a winning playoff record (5-1).

Pelicans made the postseason trip only one under Gentry, reaching the Conference semi-finals during the 2017/18 NBA season.

The post Ex-Pelicans’ Head Coach Alvin Gentry Joins Kings as an Assistant appeared first on SportzBonanza.

If you thought that the Los Angeles Lakers are done with their organizational shakeup, think again. Three days after Magic Johnson stepped as Lakers’ president of basketball operations, the team announced that they have mutually parted ways with head coach Luke Walton.

“We would like to thank Luke for his dedicated service over the last three years,” – said Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka in a team statement. “We wish Luke and his family the best of luck moving forward.”

Walton leaves the Lakers after a disappointing season in which he led the team to 37-45 record and extended the franchise’s postseason drought to six seasons. The 39-year-old posted 98-148 record during his three seasons long tenure as the team’s head coach.

“I want to thank Jeanie Buss and the Buss family for giving me the opportunity to coach the Lakers,” – said Walton in a statement. “This franchise and the city will always be special to me and my family.”

According to sources close to the situation, Los Angeles Lakers are considering several names as a potential replacement for Luke Walton, but former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue and Philadelphia 76ers’ assistant coach Monty Williams emerged as the most favored candidates.

Lue, who left Cavs early in the season, has good chances of landing the job due to the fact that he previously coached team’s biggest star LeBron James to an NBA title in Cleveland. He also has connections with the franchise, having played for the Lakers between 1998 and 2001. 

Williams, on the other side, is a well-respected name in NBA circles and has previously served as a head coach with New Orleans Pelicans between 2010 and 2015.

The post Luke Walton Mutually Parts Ways with LA Lakers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite getting LeBron James in the offseason, Los Angeles Lakers are struggling at the beginning of 2018-19 NBA season and have now fallen to a 4-6 record after 107-121 defeat against Toronto Raptors. While this put pressure on the Lakers’ head coach Luke Walton, it turns out that the 38-year-old doesn’t have to worry about his job.

Los Angeles’ president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told reporters on Sunday night Walton won’t be fired even though the team has been playing poorly.

“Yeah, we’re not going to fire him,” – Johnson told ESPN. “[The meeting last week with Walton] wasn’t even a meeting about that. We just have to be better, and that was it.“

Johnson also discussed Luke Walton’s job security with the Los Angeles Times recently.

“He’s going to finish the season,” – he told Times. “Unless something drastic happens, which it won’t.“

Luke Walton, who took over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, is still to prove that he has what it takes to be a successful NBA coach. In his first two seasons with the team, Walton posted a 61-103 record, but the front office tolerated this considering the fact that the Lakers were undergoing a rebuild.

Now as the rebuilding process is almost over, the team might not be so forgiving to Walton, despite what Johnson says. Although Lakers didn’t intend to be NBA Championship contenders right away, the team was looking to get in the NBA Playoffs this year, and he would have to deliver on this if he wants to keep his job.

The post Magic Johnson says Lakers’ Head Coach Luke Walton Won’t be Fired appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Former Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton is joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in an assistant role. The franchise officially confirmed the move on Tuesday.

Walton has familiarity with the Cavaliers’ organization, having played his final two seasons in NBA in Cleveland.

“It’s rare when you can strengthen your staff with someone of similar experiences and a passion for the game of basketball,” said Cavs’ head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in a team-released statement. “Luke is someone who identifies with our five core values as a coach, but also traits he was recognized for as a player, both in college and the NBA.”

Luke Walton had his first coaching experience while still an active player. During a 2011 NBA lockout, Walton served as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis. After retiring from playing in 2013, Walton decided to pursue coaching full-time and joined the Lakers’ NBA Development League affiliate.

Walton then joined the Golden State Warriors in 2014 to work under Steve Kerr. The Warriors also gave him his first taste of head coaching at the start of the 2015-16 season, as he stepped in for Kerr, who took a lengthy leave of absence due to back issues. In games Walton served as head coach, Golden State went 39–4.

Walton’s great job with the Warriors prompted the Lakers to hire him as his head coach ahead of the 2016-17 season. However, he failed to bring the same success to LA and was fired after missing the playoffs in all three seasons in charge.

The most recent job Walton had was with the Kings, where he also failed to make the postseason in two seasons and was fired after a 6-11 start in 2021-22.

The post Cavs Hire Ex-Kings Head Coach Luke Walton as an Assistant appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Sacramento Kings decided to fire their head coach Luke Walton. The franchise officially announced the move on Sunday. The Kings also confirmed that associate head coach Alvin Gentry will take over the team on an interim basis. Gentry joined the Kings organization in 2020 after parting ways with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Walton is out after the Kings struggled so far in 2021-22 despite having high hopes ahead of the season. The team lost seven out of their last eight games and currently owns a 6-11 record. That was enough for the No. 12 in the Western Conference.

Speaking about the decision, general manager Monte McNair said that Walton is not the only one to blame for the Kings’ poor performances.

“We all know all of us have to be better, especially over the last two weeks,” McNair said via ESPN. “We’re not meeting expectations. That’s not just on Luke. That’s on me, the rest of our coaches, and players. Everyone acknowledges that.”

Reportedly, Gentry is expected to stay at the helm at least until the end of 2021-22. Based on the results, the team will then decide in the offseason whether to remove the interim tag or embark on a search for a new head coach.

“I think we have the talent,” McNair added. “We’ve shown that we can do that. We’re going to get back to that, and Alvin will be the guy to lead us there.”

Luke Walton was hired as Sacramento’s head coach ahead of the 2019–20 season following a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. Walton compiled a 68-93 record during his time with the Kings while the team missed the playoffs in both of his two full seasons in charge.

The post Kings Fire Head Coach Luke Walton after 6-11 Start appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Alvin Gentry didn’t stay unemployed for too long after being fired as New Orleans Pelicans’ head coach back in August. According to multiple reports around the league, Gentry agreed to join Sacramento Kings’ organization.

NY Times‘ Marc Stein reports that Gentry will become an associate coach with Kings, where he will re-join with Luke Walton. The two previously collaborate under Steve Kerr at Golden State Warriors.

Stein added that Gentry was also in the mix for the same position with Philadelphia 76ers as part of the coaching core build by the team’s new head coach Doc Rivers.

Gentry joins an underachieving Sacramento Kings’ organization that finished the 2019/20 season, first under Walton, with a 31-41 record. Kings failed to make the playoffs in the past 14 seasons, which is the longest active drought in the NBA.

 Alvin Gentry spent five seasons with New Orleans, posting a 175-225 record during his tenure. He left the franchise as the second-winningest head coach in the franchise history, behind Byron Scott, and with a winning playoff record (5-1).

Pelicans made the postseason trip only one under Gentry, reaching the Conference semi-finals during the 2017/18 NBA season.

The post Ex-Pelicans’ Head Coach Alvin Gentry Joins Kings as an Assistant appeared first on SportzBonanza.

If you thought that the Los Angeles Lakers are done with their organizational shakeup, think again. Three days after Magic Johnson stepped as Lakers’ president of basketball operations, the team announced that they have mutually parted ways with head coach Luke Walton.

“We would like to thank Luke for his dedicated service over the last three years,” – said Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka in a team statement. “We wish Luke and his family the best of luck moving forward.”

Walton leaves the Lakers after a disappointing season in which he led the team to 37-45 record and extended the franchise’s postseason drought to six seasons. The 39-year-old posted 98-148 record during his three seasons long tenure as the team’s head coach.

“I want to thank Jeanie Buss and the Buss family for giving me the opportunity to coach the Lakers,” – said Walton in a statement. “This franchise and the city will always be special to me and my family.”

According to sources close to the situation, Los Angeles Lakers are considering several names as a potential replacement for Luke Walton, but former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue and Philadelphia 76ers’ assistant coach Monty Williams emerged as the most favored candidates.

Lue, who left Cavs early in the season, has good chances of landing the job due to the fact that he previously coached team’s biggest star LeBron James to an NBA title in Cleveland. He also has connections with the franchise, having played for the Lakers between 1998 and 2001. 

Williams, on the other side, is a well-respected name in NBA circles and has previously served as a head coach with New Orleans Pelicans between 2010 and 2015.

The post Luke Walton Mutually Parts Ways with LA Lakers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite getting LeBron James in the offseason, Los Angeles Lakers are struggling at the beginning of 2018-19 NBA season and have now fallen to a 4-6 record after 107-121 defeat against Toronto Raptors. While this put pressure on the Lakers’ head coach Luke Walton, it turns out that the 38-year-old doesn’t have to worry about his job.

Los Angeles’ president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told reporters on Sunday night Walton won’t be fired even though the team has been playing poorly.

“Yeah, we’re not going to fire him,” – Johnson told ESPN. “[The meeting last week with Walton] wasn’t even a meeting about that. We just have to be better, and that was it.“

Johnson also discussed Luke Walton’s job security with the Los Angeles Times recently.

“He’s going to finish the season,” – he told Times. “Unless something drastic happens, which it won’t.“

Luke Walton, who took over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, is still to prove that he has what it takes to be a successful NBA coach. In his first two seasons with the team, Walton posted a 61-103 record, but the front office tolerated this considering the fact that the Lakers were undergoing a rebuild.

Now as the rebuilding process is almost over, the team might not be so forgiving to Walton, despite what Johnson says. Although Lakers didn’t intend to be NBA Championship contenders right away, the team was looking to get in the NBA Playoffs this year, and he would have to deliver on this if he wants to keep his job.

The post Magic Johnson says Lakers’ Head Coach Luke Walton Won’t be Fired appeared first on SportzBonanza.