After being fired by the Los Angeles Lakers, it didn’t take Luke Walton long to find a new gig.
The former Lakers coach agreed to a deal to become the new coach of the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Walton met with former Lakers teammate Vlade Divac, now the Kings’ general manager and the two parties decided that this would be a match made in heaven.
Walton and the Lakers agreed to part ways after the coach finished his third year with the team with a disappointing 37-45 record. The Lakers were expected to compete for the NBA title and the Western Conference top spot after acquiring LeBron James last off-season.
Walton finished 98-148 in his three years in LA.
Sacramento, on the other hand, fired former coach Dave Joerger after the regular season’s conclusion despite finishing with a 39-43 record, the team’s best since the 2005-06 season.
The Kings have missed the playoffs for the past 13 consecutive seasons.
Sacramento hopes that Walton will be the coach to take them back to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Despite his underwhelming results with LA, Walton is respected and admired in many NBA circles.
Exact terms of the deal are still pending announcement.
