Warriors give Lakers permission to talk to Walton after 1st round

The Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching search continues to heat up.

The Golden State Warriors have granted Los Angeles permission to talk to assistant Luke Walton following the team's first-round series with the Houston Rockets, 2015-16 Coach of the Year Steve Kerr told reporters Tuesday.

Walton spent the first 43 games of the Warriors' season as the team's interim coach, going 39-4 in Kerr's absence. While his victories were credited to Kerr, Walton still finished ninth in voting for Coach of the Year.

Walton has quickly made his way up the coaching ranks after retiring from the NBA in 2013.

Walton's also been linked to the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks.