Lakers, Byron Scott enter negotiating stages

The Lakers have offered Byron Scott the head-coaching position, advancing a three-month search into the early stages of the negotiating process, according to a league source familiar with the situation.

There is a hope that Scott agrees to a deal with the Lakers soon, but it is unclear if that timetable will be finalized in a day, a few days or more. It is not clear what kind of contract the Lakers will offer, and what kind of terms Scott will feel comfortable with in his fourth NBA head-coaching stint. The Lakers offered Scott the position late Thursday night, according to the source.

Scott has been considered the Lakers’ favored candidate by virtue of having three formal interviews with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive Jim Buss. But the Lakers have held off on hiring a coach since Mike D’Antoni resigned on April 30 for a number of reasons.

The Lakers wanted to concentrate on their efforts in evaluating for the NBA draft in late June. They then wanted to fill out their roster this month during free agency to allow the personnel to dictate which coaching style they would prefer. The Lakers have never listed this as a factor, but they are still paying Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni after both lasted no more than two seasons in the past three years. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still paying Scott after being fired in 2013, though the terms are not clear.

The Lakers also interviewed Mike Dunleavy, Kurt Rambis, Alvin Gentry and Lionel Hollins. But a vast majority of the candidates took other jobs, including Rambis (New York Knicks assistant coach), Gentry (Golden State Warriors associate coach) and Hollins (Brookln Nets head coach). Dunleavy is still available, though he only had one interview with Kupchak.

ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard first reported the Lakers offering Scott the head-coaching position.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com