LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Zach LaVine sign-and-trade possible; 2 favorites for head coaching job revealed, and more | May 14th, 2022
The LA Lakers are one of the most interesting teams to monitor this offseason. However, their summer started early after they failed to qualify for the 2022 NBA playoffs. The Lakers' main goal is to find the right coach to help the team become contenders again.
Another goal for the Lakers is to overhaul their roster and possibly improve it to make the postseason next season. One of the names linked to Hollywood is Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent.
On that note, here's the latest LA Lakers rumors roundup for May 14, 2022, brought to you by Sportskeeda:
Salary cap expert explains how LA Lakers can land Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. LaVine had a good season for the Chicago Bulls, but he recently underwent knee surgery that could impact his value. One of the teams linked with LaVine is the LA Lakers despite not having a lot of cap room.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, a salary expert, recently explained how the Lakers can acquire LaVine via sign-and-trade. Pincus pointed out that Russell Westbrook has to be included in the trade, with the Lakers having a remaining $36.6 million to spend on players to surround LaVine, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He said:
"The only real solution would be a sign-and-trade, which presents different issues, most notably an approximate $155.7 million hard spending limit for the 2022-23 season. With just James, Davis and LaVine under contract, the Lakers would only have $36.6 million to flesh out the remainder of the roster. Keeping Westbrook and his $47.1 million is a non-starter."
Latest @BleacherReport Could the Lakers Realistically Get Zach Lavine? It's a Long Shot, But It's Possible bleacherreport.com/articles/10035… - I'm inundated with the question daily, figured it was worth digging into. I see no evidence LaVine wants to leave CHI to LA, but here's the what if
Darvin Ham, Terry Stotts favorites to become next LA Lakers coach
The LA Lakers are looking to hire a new coach for next season, and they are taking their time interviewing the candidates. However, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that there are no clear frontrunners for the Lakers' next coach, but two are being considered the favorites. He said:
"The Lakers have already been linked to over a dozen candidates for their head-coaching vacancy, but none of them have emerged as a clear frontrunner yet. (Darvin) Ham and Terry Stotts are probably the closest to current favorites."
Darvin Ham and Terry Stotts appear to be the two early front runners in the Lakers coaching search silverscreenandroll.com/2022/5/13/2307…
Darvin Ham is currently an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was interviewed by the Lakers last week. Meanwhile, Terry Stotts was also interviewed sometime in early May. Stotts last coached the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2020-21 season. He spent nine season as the Trail Blazers' head coach.
Update on 'Winning Time' Season 2 about LA Lakers dynasty
"Winning Time" has been a success for HBO, as it's one of the highest-rated TV shows for the network giant. The series is about the LA Lakers' "Showtime" Dynasty that dominated the NBA in the 1980s, with Magic Johnson and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar at the forefront.
Even though it's a fictional take on the players and legends portrayed, it's a big hit and is being renewed for a second season, per The Thrillist. There's still no timetable for release, but it's expected to be sometime in late 2023. Executive vice president of HBO Programming Francesca Orsi said in a statement:
"It's been a thrill to bring 'Winning Time' to life with Adam McKay, Max Borenstein, our phenomenal producing team, and this incredible cast. This series not only tells the riveting story of the Lakers' rise, but is also a look back at a transformative era in basketball, celebrity, and the city of Los Angeles. We can't wait to see how this team will tell the next chapter of this dynasty."