The Los Angeles Lakers' coaching hunt has begun immediately as soon as the team fired former head coach Byron Scott. Former player Luke Walton is said to be the first choice but college coach John Calipari is reportedly an "intriguing" coaching candidate, as per reports.

Laker Nation indicated that the 57-year-old Calipari, currently the head coach of the NCAA's Kentucky Wildcats for seven years now, is an "intriguing coaching candidate for LA" as his name "was often mentioned as a potential target for the team".

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The report said that speculations about Calipari's hiring as the Lakers coach have been there even before the team hired Scott two years ago when sophomore Julius Randle was still playing for the Wildcats.

However, the veteran bench tactician and former head coach of the New Jersey Nets allegedly rejected the offers repeatedly during that time after Mike D'Antoni decided to resign as Lakers head coach in April 2014. Scott was eventually signed instead of him to produce two of the worst seasons in franchise history.

The report mentioned that "with the Lakers job open once again, Calipari might have to take a second look at the possibility of trying his luck in the NBA once more" especially that his former pupil, Randle, will be under his wings once again in LA.

Meanwhile, SB Nation reported that team part-owner and executive vice president Jim Buss is "partial" to Walton as the next head coach of the Lakers.

Buss is said to be keen on exploring the best options for the position while general manager Mitch Kupchak said that he does not want to "drag out" the search, even as the former have already expressed his partiality to Walton, who had been his close friend for years.

It was also reported that Buss is not the only one biased to the current Golden State Warriors assistant head coach as a lot of people in Lakerland is said to be "enamored" with him after leading the defending champions to a 40-4 start during the last regular season.

TagsNBA News & Rumors, NBA News & Rumors 2016, Los Angeles Lakers, John Calipari, Luke Walton, Lakers News & Rumors, Lakers News & Rumors 2016