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5 best head coaching destinations for Luke Walton

By John Buhler

Jan 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton argues a call during the first quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton argues a call during the first quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 24, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and forward Carmelo Anthony (7) laugh on the court during second half time out against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and forward Carmelo Anthony (7) laugh on the court during second half time out against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 106-94. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlantic. New York Knicks. 5. player. 27. . East

One of the head coaching vacancies that Walton will certainly be a finalist for is the one with the New York Knicks. Walton spent the best of his NBA playing career on Phil Jackson’s great Lakers teams of the early to mid-2000s.

Jackson is in a prominent front office role with the New York basketball franchise. While Jackson has reportedly argued for the Knicks to retain interim head coach Kurt Rambis for next season, should Jackson not get his wish in keeping Rambis as the Knicks’ head coach, he could conceivably convince a former disciple in Walton to come to the Big Apple and run his Triangle Offense.

Walton have a few years of security in coaching the Knicks, especially if he has Jackson’s endorsement. The top assistant for Golden State would also inherit a perennial 25 PPG scorer in small forward Carmelo Anthony and one of the game’s brightest young stars in 7’3″ power forward Kristaps Porzingis.

If Walton is able to come in and get both Anthony and Porzingis to buy into his coaching philosophies early, the rest of the team should follow suit and the Knicks could realistically contend for an Eastern Conference Playoffs spot in 2016-17.

While there are many huge deterrents for Walton to come to New York to coach the Knicks in 2016-17, having to run The Triangle, Anthony’s inherent selfishness as a superstar, poor ownership, and of course the often scathing New York media, the Knicks are team that Walton could conceivably be the head coach of next season. Rambis is the front-runner for the job, but Walton is very much in the mix.

Next: 4. Los Angeles Lakers

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