Although the Lakers expect to hire a coach within the next week or two, a league source familiar with the situation said the hiring “could happen within a couple of days.”

The Lakers plan to have follow-up interviews with candidates they have already interviewed. That pool has narrowed, though. The Lakers have contacted Byron Scott, Mike Dunleavy, Kurt Rambis, Alvin Gentry, Lionel Hollins and George Karl since Mike D’Antoni resigned on April 30. But several candidates have taken other jobs, including Hollins (Brooklyn Nets head coach), Gentry (Golden State Warriors associate coach) and Rambis (New York Knicks assistant coach).

Scott has been considered the favored candidate after having two interviews and informal discussions, and he will have another sitdown with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive Jim Buss today to talk about the roster, according to an NBA source. Dunleavy had a formal interview with just Kupchak. And Karl had an informal phone conversation with Kupchak. It is possible the Lakers will interview new candidates, but it is not definitive.

Roster assembly

The Lakers also have around four or five spots to fill out the rest of their roster. That leaves the Lakers’ remaining free agents in Ryan Kelly, Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson in varying states of limbo.

The Lakers expect to re-sign Kelly soon. They also like Henry, but it does not appear any deal is imminent. And the Lakers remain mixed on Johnson, who is not considered a priority.

After the Lakers selected him with the 48th pick of the 2013 NBA draft, Kelly impressed the Lakers with his floor spacing, basketball IQ and shooting. All of those qualities contributed toward averaging 8.0 points on 42.3-percent shooting and 33.8 percent from 3-point range.

The Lakers were impressed with Henry’s athleticism, aggressiveness and work ethic that contributed to him averaging 10.0 points per game last season. But Henry is still recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee and left wrist, injuries that kept him out for a combined 39 games. It seems likely the Lakers will secure Kelly and Henry on relatively inexpensive one-year deals.

It appears unlikely the Lakers will re-sign Johnson, whose 9.1-points-per-game average on 42.6-percent shooting featured inconsistent offensive and defensive performances. Another option could entail picking up Carlos Boozer, whom the Chicago Bulls waived Tuesday via the amnesty provision. But it is not clear if the Lakers would submit a bid.

The Lakers have used $59 million of their $63.1 million salary cap toward Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Robert Sacre, Jeremy Lin, Nick Young and Jordan Hill. The Lakers are also expected to sign guards Kendall Marshall and Jordan Clarkson, both of whom have non-guaranteed deals.

In dispute

The Lakers denied an ESPN report that indicated the team tried to entice Dirk Nowitzki to leave Dallas for max-level money.

The report said Nowitzki refused to enter negotiations with the Houston Rockets or Lakers. But a Lakers source familiar with the situation said the team would have never offered a max-level deal to Nowitzki considering they planned to set that money aside both to pursue LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

Nowitzki signed a three-year, $25 million deal with Dallas on Tuesday.