Former Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy was contacted by the Lakers this week and is said to be on the team's current "short list" to succeed Phil Jackson, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

That list also includes former Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman, who ESPN.com's Marc Stein and ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin reported Thursday also would be a candidate for the position.

Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw has the public endorsement of Kobe Bryant and is regarded as by far the strongest in-house candidate. But a league source told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that Bryant would support the hiring of Adelman if the team decided to go in that direction.