LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Legendary coach in favor of trading LeBron James, team gets permission to interview Warriors assistant coach, and more - May 12th, 2022
The LA Lakers are arguably getting the most attention amongst teams in the offseason. They have the services of multiple future Hall of Famers on the court and also in the front office.
The controlling owner and president, Jeanie Buss, spoke to the media and revealed that Magic Johnson and Phil Jackson are back with the organization. The two franchise legends won five rings each with the Purple and Gold and are there to advise Buss moving forward.
Moreover, the head coach search isn't going as well as planned because many coaches believe the Lakers' vacancy isn't an attractive job. The belief is that the team is destined to fail once again and the new coach will undoubtedly face scrutiny for the mediocre season.
There are several stories to cover from Los Angeles, so let's dive into the top three rumors around the LA Lakers.
Phil Jackson would reportedly like to trade LeBron James and keep Russell Westbrook
LA Times journalist Bill Plaschke reported on the state of the LA Lakers and shared his interview with the controlling owner and president of the franchise, Jeanie Buss.
Buss revealed a bunch of information to Plaschke such as hiring Phil Jackson and Magic Johnson while stating her disappointment in the 2021-22 season after playing a huge luxury tax bill.
Plaschke appeared on "The Doug Gottlieb Show," and gave insights about his interview with Buss. He mentioned that he has heard about coach Jackson's inclination to trade LeBron James and keep Russell Westbrook, despite Laker Nation wanting the opposite. He said:
"I’ve heard that Phil would like LeBron traded. I’ve just heard that, but I’ve got nothing to back that up. No on-the-record stuff to back that up. I do know that Phil would like to keep Westbrook and try to make that work with him."
Richard Jefferson believes the LA Lakers need more than just a new head coach
Richard Jefferson believes the solution to the LA Lakers' predicament is not just a new head coach. The idea that this flawed roster would suddenly perform at its best with a new coach is preposterous.
There certainly need to be lineup changes and several trades and acquisitions to get this team back in the playoffs. It is not like this team lost in the second round or the conference finals but didn't even make the play-in tournament.
It is quite obvious that a coaching change would not fix that.
Former teammate of LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, spoke on the ESPN show "NBA Today" and gave his two cents on the Lakers' situation. He said:
"This mix of whatever it is, is probably not going to lead to a conference finals berth in my humble opinion. ... (This team) is so far away. This ain't a tweak. Last time they didn't make the postseason, they added Anthony Davis.
"There is no help like that coming for (this team). ... You have to do something, you gotta mix it in. And just changing the coach?...You need a lot more than just a new coach."
.@Rjeff24 didn't hold back on the Lakers organization 😳
"This mix of whatever it is, is probably not going to lead to a conference finals berth. ... You need a lot more than just a new coach." https://t.co/qBT4KWCegc
LA Lakers get permission to interview Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson resigned as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets in 2020 and was hired by the Golden State Warriors as an assistant.
He currently works on Steve Kerr's bench and is one of the ideal candidates for a head coaching job in the league. He has been mentioned as a candidate for the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, and now the LA Lakers.
As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the LA Lakers received official permission to interview Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. They have been methodically evaluating candidates ever since they let Frank Vogel go and are now expected to meet Atkinson soon.
In his NBA coaching career, he has been an assistant for the New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, LA Clippers, and now the Warriors. He served as the Nets head coach for four seasons.
ESPN Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers have received permission to interview Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for the franchise’s head coaching job. Atkinson has already interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets’ job.