Duke basketball: Mike Krzyzewski assisting blue blood franchise with coaching search

There is a lot of history between former Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Los Angeles Lakers and that relationship is about to get deeper.

Krzyzewski, according to a report from NBA insider Shams Charania, has been used as an advisor for the franchise's head coaching search.

"An interesting wrinkle, sources tell me the Lakers have leaned on Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski -- the legendary Duke coach, as an unofficial resource for the franchise, allowing them to have a perspective on how to build a [coaching] staff, have culture, an identity on your coaching staff, and how they can potentially move forward," Charania said on Tuesday's episode of The Rally.

Since retirement, Coach K has remained as an ambassador to Duke University while focusing on his charity work at The V Foundation and the Emily Krzyzewski Center. He was also named as a Special Adviser to Basketball Operations at the NBA last season.

Now, he can add head coaching search consultant to his list of post-coaching duties.

Former Duke great JJ Redick, Sam Cassell, and James Borrego are considred the three favorites to be the next Lakers head coach.

"Obviously he has a deep relationship with JJ Redick," Charania continued. "[He] also understands the other pool of coaching candidates."

Los Angeles once courted Coach K to be the replacement to Phil Jackson when he retired from coaching. The Lakers offer to Krzyzewski in 2004 was reportedly for five years, $40 million and part ownership of the franchise, but he turned it down to remain at Duke.

It was just one of several NBA jobs that Mike Krzyzewski turned down, including the Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, New Jersey Nets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

It will be interesting to see how big of a role Krzyzewski will take in the coaching search and if he tries to steer the Lakers towards hiring Redick or recommends the franchise hire a candidate who has coaching experience.