Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Lakers’ New Coach

May 11th, 2019 at 10:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The coaching search is over and the Lakers finally have their man.

Or men, more accurately, as former Nets and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd came along as part of a package deal with Frank Vogel. Kidd will be as an assistant and will serve as a mentor to Lonzo Ball, whose game was compared to Kidd’s coming out of college. However, it didn’t take long for speculation to spread on social media that Kidd has his eyes on Vogel’s job.

The Lakers need a transformation, and we’ll find out quickly if Vogel can make it happen. He built a reputation in Indiana as a tough, defensive-minded coach who led the Pacers to five playoff appearances and two straight conference finals. His standing took a hit during two seasons in Orlando, where the Magic were never competitive or especially strong on defense.

The most important question for any Lakers coach, of course, is how does he look to LeBron James. LeBron’s coaches have very short tenures when they don’t win over his respect, with Luke Walton recently being added to the list. Vogel doesn’t have a prior relationship with James or with any of this year’s top free agents, so his hiring wasn’t designed to give L.A. an edge in rebuilding its roster.

Ben Golliver of The Washington Post speculates that the addition of Vogel could be on ongoing source of friction inside the Lakers’ management team. He reportedly received “mixed reviews” after his interview on Thursday, with team adviser Kurt Rambis as Vogel’s top advocate.

Golliver notes that three factors could limit Vogel’s time in his new position. James, who will turn 35 in December and is only committed to the team for two more years before he can opt out, expects to contend right away. However, the Lakers have a poor defense in place and no center on the current roster, while Vogel hasn’t coached a team with a better-than-average offense since 2012.

In addition, Vogel’s short contract will make him easy to part with if the organization decides things aren’t working, and Kidd will be there looking over his shoulder.

We want to get your opinion on the Lakers’ coaching search. Was Vogel the right choice? And will he get time to succeed or will Kidd eventually take over? Please leave your answers in the space below.

Monty Williams Turned Down Lakers’ Coaching Offer

May 11th, 2019 at 7:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Monty Williams, who will take over as the Suns’ new head coach when the Sixers’ playoff run ends, rejected an offer from the Lakers before accepting the job in Phoenix, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Tyronn Lue made headlines on Wednesday when he turned down the Lakers’ offer and pulled his name out of consideration, but this is the first time we’ve heard that Williams was also offered the job. Lue was upset that the offer only covered three years, which is the same contract length that Frank Vogel accepted and presumably is what was offered to Williams. He received a five-year commitment from the Suns.

Williams was among the first round of candidates to interview for the Lakers’ vacancy, along with Lue, Heat assistant Juwan Howard and newly hired Lakers assistant Jason Kidd. Several members of L.A.’s front office traveled to Philadelphia to meet with Williams on April 25, less than two weeks after firing Luke Walton.

Williams’ ability to receive two head coaching offers in his first season back on the sidelines speaks to his reputation around the league. He spent two years out of the NBA following his wife’s death before returning as an assistant with the Sixers.

Latest On Kyrie Irving

May 10th, 2019 at 6:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Would Kyrie Irving truly consider joining forces with LeBron James again? According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, it’s a real possibility (hat tip to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype). Windhorst believes a reunion could be in the works, especially if the Lakers hire Jason Kidd as their head coach. Irving has even talked about it, according to Windhorst.

“That door, which was deadbolted, has been un-deadbolted and has now been cracked open,” Windhorst said. “… It might even be opening more by the day. And I say that just because I think it’s on Kyrie’s radar, it’s on Kyrie’s board. He has had discussions with people about playing for the Lakers.”

We have more on Irving, who becomes an unrestricted free agent once he declines his $21.3MM player option:

Irving’s poor performance against Milwaukee in the conference semifinals should concern the Knicks, Marc Berman of the New York Post opines. The Knicks will try to sign two top-level free agents but if they don’t get Kevin Durant or trade for Anthony Davis, Irving might be a poor fit because he’s only proven he can be the No. 2 star on a championship-caliber team, Berman continues. There is genuine debate within the front office whether they’d be better off chasing Hornets All-Star guard Kemba Walker instead of Irving, Berman adds.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart defended Irving against critics who believe Irving’s leadership skills led to poor chemistry in the locker room, according to an ESPN report. Smart feels Irving was thrust into a difficult situation. “Probably a few amount of people in this world know what Kyrie goes through. It was hard for him as well,” Smart said. “He was forced into a situation where it was business over the friendships. … This is Kyrie Irving we’re talking about it, and he’s worried about coming in and disrupting us. We took him in with full arms. We tried to understand. But like I said, we never really understood because we’re not in his shoes.”
It seems almost inevitable that Irving will sign elsewhere this summer, David Aldridge of The Athletic writes. When Boston’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge traded for Irving two years ago, it was a safe bet that he’d emerge as a mature and credible leader of a title-contending team, Aldridge continues. Irving came up well short of the mark, as he was AWOL emotionally much of this season, Aldridge adds.

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.