Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Interviewing J.B. Bickerstaff For Head Coaching Job

May 10th, 2019 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are continuing their search for a new head coach by interviewing J.B. Bickerstaff for the open position, reports Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. According to Turner, Bickerstaff’s meeting with the Lakers will happen on Friday at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo.

Bickerstaff will become the second candidate to interview for the job since negotiations between Tyronn Lue and the Lakers fell apart, joining Frank Vogel, who met with the club on Thursday.

As has been the case for most of L.A.’s head coaching interviews, a number of executives will be in attendance. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka, co-owners Joey Buss and Jesse Buss, president of business operations Tim Harris, director of special projects Linda Rambis, and senior advisor Kurt Rambis will all meet with Bickerstaff, says Turner.

Bickerstaff, who was dismissed by the Grizzlies at season’s end after nearly two full seasons at the helm in Memphis, has also interviewed with the Cavaliers this spring.

The Lakers’ list of new candidates since failing to lock up Lue now features four former head coaches, including two who used to coach in Memphis. Besides Bickerstaff and Vogel, L.A. is also said to have interest in Mike Woodson and Lionel Hollins, who had three stints as the Grizzlies’ head coach in Vancouver and Memphis, most recently from 2009-13.

Draft Notes: Zion, Norvell, Ponds, Tinkle

May 9th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a ton at stake this offseason for many of the teams involved in next week’s draft lottery, but there’s plenty at stake for consensus top prospect Zion Williamson as well. As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, Kevin Pelton, and Bobby Marks outline in an Insider-only article, not every team that has a shot at Williamson would be an ideal fit for him.

In the view of ESPN’s insiders, the Hawks, Mavericks, and Pelicans would be the most preferable landing spots for Williamson. The opportunity to play with up-and-coming play-makers – Trae Young in Atlanta, or Luka Doncic in Dallas – would help unlock Williamson’s potential.

On the other hand, ESPN’s panel doesn’t consider the Lakers, Bulls, and Sixers great fits for Williamson. Spacing is the primary concern for the Lakers and Sixers, and it’s unclear how a pairing with Joel Embiid would work. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine‘s ball dominance and Jim Boylen‘s “outdated” offense are viewed as red flags.

Here are several more draft-related notes:

Gonzaga sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. told reporters today that he intends to keep his name in the 2019 NBA draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Norvell was one of 66 prospects announced on Wednesday as a 2019 draft combine participant.
St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds, another one of those 66, has workouts lined up with the Warriors, Bulls, Kings, Jazz, Celtics, and Mavericks, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Ponds is ranked as the No. 51 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
After working out for Utah and Philadelphia, Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle has auditions this week with the Raptors, Celtics, and Hornets, and will work out for the Hawks next week, writes Nick Daschel of The Oregonian.
After turning in an impressive performance at the Portsmouth Invitational, forward Jarrell Brantley (Charleston) has workouts lined up with 10 teams, including the Celtics, Nets, Timberwolves, Hornets, and Clippers, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

Lakers Will Interview Frank Vogel Today

May 9th, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are wasting no time resuming their head coaching search after negotiations with Tyronn Lue fell apart, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Frank Vogel, former head coach with the Magic and Pacers, will interview for the position later today.

Vogel was one of three new candidates mentioned Wednesday after the Lakers and Lue both announced that negotiations had ceased. The others were Mike Woodson and Lionel Hollins, who will presumably both get interviews soon.

Vogel compiled a 304-291 record in two seasons in Orlando and five-plus seasons in Indiana. He took the Pacers to the playoffs five times, including back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014. He was considered a strong candidate to be lead assistant if things had worked out with Lue.

Based on the prior round of interviews, Vogel is expected to meet with controlling owner Jeanie Buss, GM Rob Pelinka, co-owners Joey Buss (who runs the G League South Bay Lakers) and Jesse Buss (assistant GM and director of scouting), Chief Operating Officer Tim Harris, director of special projects Linda Rambis and senior advisor Kurt Rambis.

Fallout From Failed Negotiations Between Lakers, Lue

May 9th, 2019 at 10:14am CST by Arthur Hill

Contract length was the main point of contention that prevented Tyronn Lue from becoming the Lakers’ next coach, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. L.A. was offering Lue $18MM over three years, which would line up with LeBron James‘ remaining commitment to the team. Lue was “insulted” that the Lakers viewed him as just a coach for LeBron and was seeking a five-year deal.

A source tells Shelburne that GM Rob Pelinka didn’t believe negotiations would collapse because Lue doesn’t have interest from any other teams (Twitter link). However, the Cavaliers still owe Lue about $10MM and he didn’t want to risk losing money by taking an offer that he considered below his market value. He also believes his experience coaching at a championship level warrants a longer commitment.

There’s more this morning on the Lue situation:

Talks also broke down because of the Lakers’ insistence on having the final say on Lue’s assistant coaches, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. Lue was willing to make former Pacers and Magic head coach Frank Vogel his top assistant, sources tell Stein, but management wanted him to put Jason Kidd on the staff as well after he performed well in an interview. Stein also reports that two advisers to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss feared that the team would be giving James too much power by hiring Lue.
Former Lakers player Kurt Rambis, who now serves as an adviser, has expanded his power in the organization and is playing a critical role in the coaching search, relays Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Buss made a mistake by letting Pelinka assume too much power after team president Magic Johnson resigned, contends Bill Oram of The Athletic. Lue was the only available candidate who has experience coaching James and was willing to sign up for another round, Oram notes, and Pelinka couldn’t get a deal done. He states that Buss should have found someone to serve as president of basketball operations and let him hire a GM and conduct the coaching search. Instead, she trusted the organization to Kobe Bryant‘s former agent.
The new coaching candidates — Vogel, Mike Woodson and Lionel Hollins, won’t inspire Lakers fans or help to satisfy James, who has just two years left before he can opt out of his contract, Oram adds. He also wonders how much ineptitude James is willing to put up with before he demands to be traded to a better-run organization.
Lue’s plans for the Lakers would have looked very similar to how he utilized James in Cleveland, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Lue believes LeBron is most effective in a structured offense where he has an order of options to follow depending on how the defense reacts. Under Luke Walton, the Lakers used more of a random approach where four players had the option to push the ball up court, while the others were instructed to fill lanes on the fast break. Lue told management he would have arranged the minutes for James and Brandon Ingram so that one was always on the court.

Tyronn Lue Won’t Be Lakers’ Next Coach

May 8th, 2019 at 6:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:19pm: The Lakers will start fresh in their coaching search, with former NBA coaches Lionel Hollins, Frank Vogel and Mike Woodson to be considered, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

5:50pm: After a report of an impasse in contract negotiations between Tyronn Lue and the Lakers, both sides have decided to move on.

A team source tells Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times that the organization has determined Lue isn’t the “right long-term fit” (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times tweets that Lue and his representatives informed the Lakers that he has withdrawn his name from consideration, offering thanks to the team for including him in the interview process.

Lue turned down the Lakers’ offer of $18MM over three years, Turner adds (Twitter link). A source says Lue was asking for a five-year contract. Lue is still owed $10MM by the Cavaliers, points out ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and could lose money by agreeing to a deal that’s below his market value.

Lue was the top choice of Lakers star LeBron James, Wojnarowski adds, but Lakers brass was also sold on Lue for his experience in coaching in three NBA Finals, along with his title history as a player in L.A.

Sources tell Woj that GM Rob Pelinka and front office advisor Kurt Rambis were very impressed with Kidd when they interviewed him and were insisting that he become part of Lue’s staff. They view Kidd as a valuable mentor for Lonzo Ball and liked the way he developed young talent in Milwaukee. Sources don’t believe Lue was opposed to Kidd joining the staff, but the two men hadn’t discussed the possibility.

It’s not clear now if Kidd becomes the favorite to take the head coaching job or if the Lakers will start the interview process again. Along with Lue and Kidd, they talked to Sixers assistant Monty Williams, who will be the next head coach in Phoenix, and Heat assistant Juwan Howard.

Lakers, Tyronn Lue Reach Impasse

May 8th, 2019 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are at “an impasse” in negotiations with Tyronn Lue to be their next head coach, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Talks have stalled without an agreement for Lue to take over the team, even though he has been widely expected to get the job.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that negotiations have focused on contract specifics and the makeup of Lue’s coaching staff. The Lakers want him to add former Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd, who made a “strong impression” when he interviewed for the job and has shown an ability to develop young players.

The idea of having experienced assistants have always been important to Lakers management, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link), who adds that it was part of the reason there was friction with former head coach Luke Walton. A report yesterday said that Lue reached out to Tom Thibodeau about being his top assistant, but that pairing is considered unlikely to happen, even if Lue does get the job.

It’s not clear if Kidd is interested in taking on that role either, writes Shams Charania of The Athletic. Kidd moved straight into a head coaching role after his playing days were over and has never worked as an NBA assistant.

In addition to Lue and Kidd, Lakers management also met with new Suns coach Monty Williams and Heat assistant Juwan Howard in their coaching search. L.A. never made Williams a contract offer before he signed with Phoenix, and there was “no concrete sense” that the team planned to, sources tell Charania.

Lue seems like a natural candidate for the Lakers because of his connection to LeBron James from their days in Cleveland, which included a championship and three straight NBA Finals appearances. However, Charania reports that James has told the front office he doesn’t want to be part of the coaching search and reportedly declined a request to speak to Williams about the job.

James intends his decision to be a sign of faith in management, Charania adds, and he is still committed to trying to get the team back into title contention. The Lakers are expected to be active on the free agent market, and the coaching decision will be among several factors that determines their success.

NBA Announces 2019 Draft Lottery Representatives

May 8th, 2019 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s 2019 draft lottery set to take place next Tuesday night, the league has now officially confirmed who will represent each team on stage and in the lottery room on May 14.

While there are only 14 picks in the lottery – including four determined by the drawings of ping pong balls – there will be 15 team representatives in attendance due to various trades. The full breakdown of each club’s odds in this year’s lottery can be found right here.

Here’s the full list of 2019 lottery representatives, with each team sending two reps — one will be in the lottery room during the actual draw, while the other will be on stage for the broadcast portion of the event.

New York Knicks
- On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
- Lottery room: Allan Houston (special assistant to the GM)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
Cleveland Cavaliers
- On stage: Nick Gilbert (son of team owner)
- Lottery room: Brock Aller (senior director of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
Phoenix Suns
- On stage: Deandre Ayton
- Lottery room: Jim Pitman (CFO)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
Chicago Bulls
- On stage: Horace Grant (special advisor to president/COO)
- Lottery room: Joey Reinsdorf (son of president/COO)
- Top-four odds: 48.0%
Atlanta Hawks
- On stage: Jami Gertz (co-owner)
- Lottery room: Michelle Leftwich (VP, salary cap administration)
- Top-four odds: 42.1%
  - Note: The Hawks will also land a second lottery pick if the Mavericks’ pick doesn’t move into the top four.
Washington Wizards
- On stage: Raul Fernandez (vice chairman)
- Lottery room: Tommy Sheppard (senior VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 37.2%
New Orleans Pelicans
- On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
- Lottery room: David Griffin (executive VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
Memphis Grizzlies
- On stage: Elliot Perry (minority owner / director of player support)
- Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (executive VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
  - Note: The Grizzlies will lose their pick if it falls outside of the top eight (42.6% chance).
Dallas Mavericks
- On stage: Cynthia Marshall (CEO)
- Lottery room: Keith Grant (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
  - Note: The Mavericks will lose their pick if it doesn’t move into the top four.
Minnesota Timberwolves
- On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
- Lottery room: Brad Ruiter (VP of communications)
- Top-four odds: 13.9%
Los Angeles Lakers
- On stage: Kyle Kuzma
- Lottery room: Rob Pelinka (GM)
- Top-four odds: 9.4%
Charlotte Hornets
- On stage: James Borrego (head coach)
- Lottery room: Buzz Peterson (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 4.8%
Miami Heat
- On stage: Alonzo Mourning (VP, player programs)
- Lottery room: Andy Elisburg (senior VP of basketball operations / GM)
- Top-four odds: 4.8%
Boston Celtics
- On stage: Rich Gotham (president)
- Lottery room: Mike Zarren (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 3.8%
  - Note: The Celtics will receive the Grizzlies’ pick if it falls outside of the top eight and the Kings’ pick if it falls between 2-14.
Philadelphia 76ers
- On stage: Chris Heck (president)
- Lottery room: Ian Hillman (VP, strategy & analytics)
- Top-four odds: 1.0%
  - Note: The Sixers will only receive a pick if the Kings’ first-rounder jumps up to No. 1.

Stein’s Latest: Lue, Suns, Cavaliers

May 7th, 2019 at 8:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marc Stein’s newsletter is a must-read for all NBA fans and this week’s piece for The New York Times is filled with insight on this offseason’s coaching hires, among other nuggets. Here are the highlights from the piece:

Tyronn Lue, who is set to become the Lakers next coach, was not the unanimous first choice among the organization’s decision-makers, Stein hears. Some within the franchise worried about Lue aiding LeBron James‘ influence within the Lakers and Lue’s supporters were forced to wait until Monty Williams, who was hired by the Suns, was no longer available.
It appears Suns owner Robert Sarver wants to continue to have the loudest say over the team’s basketball operations. Sarver brought in Jeff Bower as an advisor this offseason without giving the executive any real decision-making power, Stein writes.
Phoenix hired Williams as its head coach in part because the front office hopes he can give the Suns a “strong voice and presence,” Stein adds. The organization envisions Williams establishing a winning culture and an improved reputation around the league.
The Cavaliers want to hire a young head coach who embraces analytics in an attempt to replicate Brooklyn’s rebuild under coach Kenny Atkinson and Atlanta’s setting with Lloyd Pierce. You can find our Cavaliers’ page here with the latest on their ongoing coaching search.

Tom Thibodeau Not Expected To Join Lakers’ Staff

May 7th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In late April, when the Lakers were interviewing candidates for their head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Tyronn Lue had inquired with Tom Thibodeau about becoming his top assistant in Los Angeles (Twitter link via Showtime Forum).

With Lue now seemingly poised to claim the Lakers’ head coaching job, Frank Isola of The Athletic confirms that the team’s interest in Thibodeau was real. However, the former Timberwolves coach is unlikely to join Lue’s staff.

As Isola details, in addition to Lue’s inquiry, LeBron James let it be known through intermediaries that Thibodeau would be a “huge asset” to the Lakers in a lead assistant role. But Thibodeau is still earning money from his Timberwolves contract and can afford to be patient as he seeks another head coaching job, Isola writes. That echoes what we heard from Woj, who indicated in the wake of his initial report that Thibs would prefer to wait for a head coaching opportunity (Twitter link).

Isola also points out that Thibodeau might be wise to take a “wait-and-see” approach with a team like the Lakers after dealing with an unstable management group in Minnesota.

While the Lakers aren’t expected to bring Thibodeau aboard, it sounds like another noteworthy former head coach may join Lue in Los Angeles. As we relayed on Monday, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Frank Vogel is a strong candidate to become the Lakers’ lead assistant, if and when the team officially hires Lue.

Column: Give James Input On All Major Decisions

May 6th, 2019 at 9:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s in the best interest of the Lakers to give LeBron James input on all decisions, Frank Isola of The Athletic opines. While the Lakers don’t normally take that approach with a star player, no one running the club has proven they can build a winner, Isola notes. When they signed James last summer, they knew they had to let his voice be heard, Isola continues. The expected hiring of his former head coach in Cleveland, Tyronn Lue, is an example of James’ already exhibiting his influence, Isola adds.