Luke Walton said that he's ignoring rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers have already began searching for candidates to replace him as head coach for next season.

“I fully expect to be coaching this team again next year...I just view it as outside noise unless someone from within tells me that that happened. 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," said Walton.

Walton has 1 guaranteed year remaining on his contract.

Tyronn Lue told Walton that he has yet to be contacted by any member from the Lakers' organization, and will tell Walton should he be contacted out of respect for his friend.