Report: Lakers interested in hiring World Peace as assistant coach

Veteran forward Metta World Peace will have the opportunity to stick around with the Los Angeles Lakers one way or another.

For the second-straight season, World Peace is signed to a training camp roster and might not make the cut for the 15-man roster. The team has 14 guaranteed deals on the books and will presumably retain the non-guaranteed contract of Chinese center Yi Jianlian.

Should World Peace fail to make the cut, the Lakers would be interested in hiring him as an assistant coach, sources tell ESPN's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne.

The 36-year-old forward hardly played last season, making only 35 appearances, and that trend has continued into this preseason, where he has logged just 5.3 minutes per game in two outings. The grizzly veteran hardly fits with this youthful Lakers roster.

To put it another way: World Peace is older than head coach Luke Walton.

If World Peace were interested, adding him to Walton's bench should make for a seamless transition. World Peace has served as a knowledgeable veteran, and he could presumably continue that role as an assistant focused on player development.