Phil Jackson and Mike D'Antoni are the leading candidates to replace Mike Brown as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne on Friday.

"It's neck and neck," the source said.

The Lakers are expected to reach out to both men as early as Saturday morning, as well as several other candidates. They'd like to move quickly through this process as interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff has only committed to working a few games.

"It's not going to be a long process; that's for damn sure," a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "But they're going to do their due diligence."

A meeting with Jackson could happen by the end of the weekend.

Jackson is open to returning to the NBA sidelines, multiple sources with knowledge of the Hall of Fame coach's thinking told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told reporters Friday afternoon that the team's brain trust -- Kupchak along with Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss and executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss -- already has put together a list of potential replacements for Bickerstaff. Among the "four or five" names on that short list is Jackson, according to a league source.

The all-time winningest head coach in NBA championship history with 11 titles to his name, Jackson has not coached since the 2010-11 season when he walked away from the game after the Lakers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs.

In his final news conference, Jackson noted that he didn't have much of a relationship with Jim Buss.

"People took that the wrong way," a source told Shelburne. "There's no ill will between Jim and Phil."

Jackson took last season off to avoid the frustration associated with a lockout-shortened season and to improve his health. Jackson, 67, is "getting better and better," according to a source familiar with the rehabilitation process for Jackson, who underwent knee replacement surgery in March.

"He's been in tune with the Lakers' season and has kept an eye on the league," a source close to Jackson told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Jackson's presence never has fully left the Lakers. He still frequently stops by the team's practice facility to visit his longtime girlfriend, Jeanie Buss. Kobe Bryant often quotes Jackson maxims during news conferences. Even Jackson's two elevated chairs -- one he used at home practices and one the team took on the road for away games -- are still propped up against a wall by the entrance to the training room at the practice facility.

Should Jackson return to the Lakers, league sources feel he would be interested in bringing along an assistant coach or associate head coach that he could groom to be his successor. Jackson feels like he owes much of his success to his longtime consultant Tex Winter, the architect of the Triangle offense, and he would like to pay it forward to another young coach. When Jackson spoke to Portland and Orlando about their head coaching vacancies this past offseason, a mentor arrangement was discussed in both situations, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Although Jackson values the process of going through a full training camp when taking over a team, a source close to the coach said that could be mitigated with this current Lakers' group because Jackson would be joining it with pre-existing familiarity with the roster, namely Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace, whom he coached to a championship in 2010.

Jackson is in Los Angeles and was seen sporting a mustache, the same look he went with when the Lakers first hired him in 1999, at a recent dinner.
via Ramona Shellburne

Balance&Options24 wrote:

Stephen A Smith‏@stephenasmith

Here's all I'm going to say: You pick D'Antoni as next coach for Lakers if you want to entertain for 82 gms. You pick PJ to win titles.



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Tobias Funke wrote:Id much rather Sloan over Pringles if Phil isn't hired. I was hoping it would be between the two young fellas.

Have to imagine that if they're even reaching out to Phil then the job is his for taking tho.

lakerswiz wrote:Rather have Brown than D'Antoni.

CaCHooKa Man wrote:

Adrian Wojnarowski wrote:Jim Cleamons and Kurt Rambis - longtime Phil Jackson aides - are ready to re-join Jax on bench should he return to Lakers, sources tell Y!

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/267088599223259136

Weezy wrote:I refuse to believe that Phil and D'Anphony are neck and neck for the job. Jim, Jerry, and Mitch would not go out and hire a coach that's never gotten it done and that doesn't coach defense if Phil actually wants to come back. If they were to hire Pringles, we'd be right back to where we were yesterday, complaining about our coach and asking for him to be fired in no time. Phil had his defensive issues as well with out 2011 team, they never could quite get the team to play well enough on D, but I also believe they were just gassed from 3 Finals in a row. I'd take Phil and Rambis and crew back and trust them more on offense AND defense than D'Anphony and whoever he brings in.

kray28 wrote:SAS is totally right. Pringles time with the Knicks kind of exposed his weakness to me.

He needs certain types of players for his system to work...not just a Nash type guard, but an array of good perimeter shooters and fast players.

We don't have the personnel...and it was only when the Knicks lost Melo and Lin emerged did D'Antoni have players that kind of matched the personnel profile he needed for his offense to work.

trodgers wrote:

CaCHooKa Man wrote:

Adrian Wojnarowski wrote:Jim Cleamons and Kurt Rambis - longtime Phil Jackson aides - are ready to re-join Jax on bench should he return to Lakers, sources tell Y!

https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/267088599223259136

Weezy wrote:I refuse to believe that Phil and D'Anphony are neck and neck for the job. Jim, Jerry, and Mitch would not go out and hire a coach that's never gotten it done and that doesn't coach defense if Phil actually wants to come back. If they were to hire Pringles, we'd be right back to where we were yesterday, complaining about our coach and asking for him to be fired in no time. Phil had his defensive issues as well with out 2011 team, they never could quite get the team to play well enough on D, but I also believe they were just gassed from 3 Finals in a row. I'd take Phil and Rambis and crew back and trust them more on offense AND defense than D'Anphony and whoever he brings in.

Rooscooter wrote:My bet is that they are in negotiations with Phil.... and he's got them bent over... he'll want 10M plus a chunk of the team is my guess..... This isn't a development situation.... this is trying to save a couple seasons and get another chip for Kobe time.....

If he goes overboard with the demands it will be on to the next candidate but I'd almost bet they reached out to him first and foremost.

JLaker17 wrote:Phil Jackson, get it done.

Punk-101 wrote:My memory of Phil is the team grossly underperforming going into the playoffs leading us to question when they were going to "flip the switch". They then proceeded to struggle mightily against NOH only to be swept by Dallas in embarrassing fashion. Our current roster is Cleary better and Phil demands some faith, but he isn't immune to his team under preforming. I love Phil and he has the championship pedigree, but I'm concerned.

CaCHooKa Man wrote:potato head
pringles
zen master

which one of these names would you choose

Balance&Options24 wrote:

Stephen A Smith‏@stephenasmith

Here's all I'm going to say: You pick D'Antoni as next coach for Lakers if you want to entertain for 82 gms. You pick PJ to win titles.



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