Juwan Howard new betting favorite to become next Lakers coach

Could Juwan Howard become the next Lakers coach? Vegas seems to think so.

Howard is the new favorite to replace Luke Walton in Los Angeles, according to odds released by BetOnline.ag. He has been an assistant with the Heat since 2013. Howard also played with Los Angeles star LeBron James in Miami from 2010-13.

The Lakers have yet to fire Walton, but he is widely expected to be dismissed at the end of the season.

Walton, however, said recently he believes he'll return in 2019-20.

“I just view it as outside noise,” Walton told The Athletic. “Unless someone from within our group is telling me that, I just view it like all the other things we’ve gone through as a team this year. Those are things that I don’t have the time to worry about."

Walton has 7/1 odds to start next season as Los Angeles’ coach, according to BetOnline.ag.

Jason Kidd, Rick Carlisle and Tyronn Lue have also been linked to the Lakers’ coaching job.

Here’s BetOnline.ag’s top-15 favorites to be the coach in Los Angeles to begin 2018-19:

Juwan Howard	4/1
Tyronn Lue	7/1
Luke Walton	7/1
Tom Thibodeau	15/2
Jason Kidd	9/1
Jerry Stackhouse	10/1
Derek Fisher	12/1
David Fizdale	12/1
Mark Jackson	12/1
Brian Shaw	12/1
Jeff Van Gundy	12/1
Sam Cassell	20/1
Adrian Griffin	20/1
Miles Simon	20/1
Becky Hammon	25/1
Doc Rivers	25/1