The Lakers have started negotiating with Byron Scott to become their next head coach, according to a person familiar with the situation.

ESPN reported that Lakers owner Jim Buss offered Scott the job Thursday night and that Scott and his agent are reviewing the offer.

Scott is believed to be vacationing in the Bahamas, according to the Los Angeles Times, meaning a news conference probably wouldn’t be held until next week.

Scott, 53, has a tight relationship with Kobe Bryant and recognition from Lakers fans who remember his smooth stroke on the "Showtime" teams of the 1980s.

Bryant gave Scott a thumbs-up for the job earlier this month, calling his former teammate a "rookie mentor" who made Bryant fetch donuts and run other errands as a young player.

"We’ve had a tremendously close relationship throughout the years," Bryant said. "So obviously I know him extremely well, he knows me extremely well."

The Lakers have been without a coach since Mike D’Antoni resigned April 30.

Scott has coached 13 years in the NBA, for the Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Cavaliers. He guided the Nets to back-to-back appearances in the Finals, where they lost to the Lakers and the Spurs. He was named coach of the year in 2008.

Scott won three championships with the Lakers while playing for them from 1983 until 1993. He came back for one more season, 1996-97.