“I dream like they dream; I want Messi; I want Ronaldo” - Masai Ujiri says LA Lakers can keep dreaming about taking Nick Nurse away from Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri has said that the LA Lakers can keep dreaming about acquiring their coach Nick Nurse, as the Toronto-based franchise isn't interested in letting him go.
The Lakers have been linked with the Raptors coach for their coaching vacancy. They let coach Frank Vogel go in the offseason after finishing a disappinting 11th in the Western Conference despite LeBron James playing like an MVP.
They were championship favorites before the season began but ended up not even competing in the play-in tournament. Now, there's a long list of potential targets for the coaching job of the Purple and Gold, with Nurse being one of them.
However, when asked about the rumors concerning coach Nurse, Ujiri said that he has not been contacted. He said in a press conference:
"No team has contacted me, and I see all this stuff that you guys see. I dream like they dream."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are arguably two of the greatest football (soccer) players of all time. Anyone would want them in their team if they got a chance. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant is a Laker legend and one of the greatest NBA players to ever lace up.
Ujiri joked about getting the aforementioned players just like the Lakers want Raptors coach Nurse. He said:
"I want Messi. I want Ronaldo. I want Kobe Bryant. So they can keep dreaming. I dream too."
: bit.ly/39zS6LkFull Masai Ujiri end-of-season availability is up.
SPOILER: Nick Nurse isn't going anywhere 😭
🎥: bit.ly/39zS6Lk https://t.co/x99ibG0Qlc
LA Lakers' coaching job is not an attractive proposition
The LA Lakers are hunting for someone worthy to replace Frank Vogel. Several coaches have been linked with the job, but every name seems to be crossed off the list.
Mark Jackson was heavily rumored to be a frontrunner, but the latest reports suggest he is headed to Sacramento. Nick Nurse was just taken off the table after Ujiri's latest comments, and other names aren't panning out as well too.
Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder believes the LA Lakers coach position is not currently an attractive one. For starters, it will entail extremely high pressure to make the NBA Finals, and anything less than that will be considered a disappointment.
Moreover, the coach will have to deal with three egoistic superstars in Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis and figure out the best possible system to ensure all three are happy. As reported by Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, Snyder isn't interested in the job. He wrote:
"And while the Lakers are known to have strong interest in Snyder, pessimism persists around the NBA and several sources familiar with Snyder’s thinking that Los Angeles does not present an attractive landing spot for the veteran coach."
There is yet another report out this morning questioning Quin Snyder's desire to leave the Jazz for the Lakers.
lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-… https://t.co/AWnoxsGKCD
The LA Lakers will continue to hunt for a coach till the new season begins, and only time will tell who picks up this tall task.