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By Noah Camras
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching search has been a rollercoaster.
Multiple coaches have been the reported "frontrunner" at different times, including University of Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley, ESPN analyst JJ Redick, and former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego.
Hurley spurned the Lakers to return to Connecticut, but made it sound like a larger financial offer could have convinced him to leave. Nonetheless, it won't be him.
Read More on NBA
Read more: Dan Hurley Says Lakers' Financial Offer Did Not Entice Him to Leave UConn
Since Hurley declined the Lakers, Redick has been the expected front runner, but now a new name could enter the mix.
On Wednesday, the Detroit Pistons shockingly fired head coach Monty Williams after just one season. Williams will now get paid $65 million to not coach the Pistons, and he instantly becomes one of the most intriguing coaches on the open market.
Read more: Pistons Dismiss Monty Williams With Millions Still Left on Contract
Williams spent one season in Detroit after signing a massive six-year, $78.5 million contract last offseason. The Pistons weren't ready to contend, as they went 14-68, earning themselves the worst record in the NBA.
It was expected that Williams would get more time to build in Detroit, but instead, he's back on the market for the second straight offseason.
So, could the Lakers come calling?
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On Wednesday, The Athletic's NBA insider Shams Charania went on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss Williams' dismissal. He was asked if the Lakers could show interest, and said, "I have not gotten the sense yet that Monty Williams is in the picture here."
However, Charania did make it clear that this firing just happened, and obviously these things take time to develop. Moreover, the Lakers had interest in Williams back in 2019 before they ultimately hired Frank Vogel to be their next head coach.
More news: The 5 Best Lakers Head Coach Candidates Now That Dan Hurley Has Turned Down Their Offer
Williams' head coaching career began back in 2010 when he became the lead man of the then-New Orleans Hornets. Williams spent five seasons in New Orleans, going to the playoffs twice, but both resulting in first-round exits.
Williams was then an assistant for a few more years before he was hired by the Phoenix Suns in 2019. After missing the playoffs in 2019-20 (but showing incredible promise in the bubble), the Suns took the league by storm in 2020-21. They earned the No. 1 seed and went all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. They were the West's No. 1 seed again in 2021-22, but lost in the Western Conference Semifinals.
In 2022-23, the Suns earned the No. 2 seed in the West, but yet again lost in the Conference Semifinals. Williams, the 2022 Coach of the Year winner, was then let go and signed with Detroit.
Williams will now be looking to lead his third team in three seasons, if he does, in fact, choose to continue coaching. Williams could also elect to not coach and spend more time with his wife, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. Whether he decides to coach or not, Williams will get paid by Detroit.
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