Luke Walton Joins University of Memphis as an Assistant Coach

Plenty of NBA players are finding new things to do during the lockout, but here’s one we haven’t seen yet: Lakers forward Luke Walton will be joining the University of Memphis coaching staff as an assistant. Walton has an NBA out, which will be useful when (um, if?) the League returns this fall/winter. Via the Commercial Appeal: “Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton will join the University of Memphis coaching staff as a third assistant coach — for as long as the NBA lockout lasts — pending approval by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Walton, a former University of Arizona standout who played with the Wildcats from 1999-2003, has two years remaining on his contract with the Lakers. He will remain with Memphis until the NBA labor dispute is settled and the league resumes business as usual. Pastner coached Walton as an assistant under Lute Olson at Arizona. Walton’s hiring would make the Memphis coaching staff an all-Arizona outfit. Pastner and assistants Jack Murphy and Damon Stoudamire also graduated from Arizona.”