HoopsHype.com Rumors

The desire of Lakers fans and players to have Jackson return has been matched by management's hope to have him back on the sidelines. There's been speculation since Jackson's departure in 2011 of a rift between Buss and the coach. That is not a deterrent in present discussions, according to a person familiar with them. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jim Buss 

The Lakers concluded preliminary talks Saturday with former coach Phil Jackson, a feeling-out process that would continue, The Times has learned. Team Vice President Jim Buss and Jackson met Saturday morning to explore the prospects of Jackson returning to the team. The Lakers are unwavering that there’s still a 95% certainty he will be their next coach. It's known that Jackson has already contacted assistant coaches who have worked with him previously about joining the Lakers' staff. It doesn't appear to be a problem for Lakers management. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jim Buss 

Until it becomes a certainty that Jackson is ready to return to coaching, the Lakers will continue the search process. It's believed they have an interest in talking to former NBA coaches Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan and Mike Dunleavy. No formal offer was made Saturday, but it’s well understood the job is Jackson’s if he wants it. Sources were unclear whether discussions had advanced to the stage of salary and contract length. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Mike Dunleavy, Nate McMillan, Jim Buss 

Jackson’s health is fine, according to people who have spoken to him, but he is hedging a bit because of all the travel done by NBA teams. He has always disliked the routine of 41 regular-season road games — 39 for the Lakers, who play two designated away games against the Clippers at Staples Center. The Lakers have played only two road games this season, neither of them against the Clippers, meaning a long, steady stream of road trips awaits the team. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jim Buss 

Dave McMenamin: Following today's meeting, a source familiar w/ talks between Phil Jackson/Lakers texted me "No time frame has been set, yet" Twitter @mcten

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jim Buss 

Ric Bucher: Jax source also is skeptical Jim Buss will cede the necessary authority. I still believe Jerry might tell Jim he must. #diditoncebefore Twitter @RicBucher

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Biggest hurdle in Lakers-Jackson talks remains "How Phil's going to handle the travel schedule," source w/ knowledge of discussions tells Y! Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Jerry Buss, Schedule, Jim Buss 

There is a scenario in which former Lakers coach Phil Jackson would consider returning for a third stint with the team, sources said late Friday, but it will require executive VP Jim Buss once again relinquishing the organizational reins – and this time handing them to Jackson, rather than back to GM Mitch Kupchak. One source described the possibility of Jackson returning, should a suitable offer be made, as “strong.” CSNBayArea.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Jim Buss 

The abruptness and timing of the decision – five games into Brown’s first full season – was credited by one source to Lakers legend and former part-owner Magic Johnson finally winning “a turf war” with the younger Buss and convincing Lakers’ patriarch, Jerry Buss, that Brown must go. Johnson, the source said, would like to see former Laker and current Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw succeed Brown. CSNBayArea.com

Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss 

As it turns out, they aren't. According to multiple Lakers sources, Lakers owner Jerry Buss learned a lesson from his experience with Westhead that he, his son Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak remembered this week when they made the decision to to fire Brown. "When you're ready to fire someone, don't wait," one source said. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss 

The Lakers had actually decided to fire Westhead two games earlier, sources said, before they played the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 15, 1981, but they didn't do it right away. When the team beat both the Pacers and the Utah Jazz three nights later, things got awkward. The team's issues hadn't changed -- Johnson was unhappy with the way he was being used in Westhead's offense -- but now after losing four of their first six games, the Lakers had rattled off four straight wins. When Johnson asked to be traded following the Jazz game, it created the perception he forced Jerry Buss' hand when in actuality the decision to fire Westhead had been made several days earlier. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss, Paul Westhead 

Roland Lazenby: I don’t think circumstances allowed the Busses to do anything else. There were some hot-assed folks paying biiiiggg bucks fussing about Mike Twitter @lazenby

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss 

Magic Johnson: Feel bad for Coach Mike Brown, who's a great guy, but don't think he was the right guy for the job in the first place. Jim Buss has another big decision. The @Lakers need a championship caliber coach. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike Brown, Magic Johnson, Jim Buss 

After watching the Los Angeles Lakers drop to 1-4 on the season with a 95-86 loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss was not a happy man. Something is not yet right with his star-studded team, and as a competitive guy, Buss is looking for ways to fix it sooner rather than later. "You don't start 0-3 for the first time since we've owned the franchise without being on top of it," Buss told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "No matter what, you have to be aware. That doesn't mean change is coming. That just means you have to be aware." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jim Buss 

But while fans and pundits have placed the blame for the Lakers' early struggles on coach Mike Brown, Buss said he's still very confident in his coach. "I have no problems with Mike Brown at all," Buss said. "He just works too hard and he's too knowledgeable for this to be happening. "So either the system is flawed or something's going on. Or, like the Triangle, it's very hard to pick up and understand. I'm not a basketball mind like he is or the players are, and the players are fine with it, so I just have to be patient." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jim Buss 

In Buss' own words, "this team was built to win now." So just how patient can he be? "You have to give it time to understand [what's going on]," Buss said. "I don't know if there's an actual game total that would make me impatient. I know if we're 1-15, I don't think that would be very good. I'm sure that would be a panic button. But at this time, I'm fine with what's going on. It's a learning process for the players. As long as everybody is on the same page, I think we're fine." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jim Buss 

Here's how Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss, just two-plus weeks ago, put his feelings – and those of general manager Mitch Kupchak and Lakers owner Jerry Buss: "I'm a hundred percent behind Mike Brown. Mitch is. My dad is. We as a collective soul are behind him 100 percent." Collective soul? Brown's not getting fired anytime soon, folks. Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss 

Criticize his inability to develop the bench or wonder why the Lakers don't have the defensive tenacity he predicted he'd bring, but the guy is still getting his chance here. Lakers management basically gave him a pass last season because of how little post-lockout time he had to teach and change. This season, he felt secure enough to change the offense – which is the right decision, by the way, for the greater playoff good – and see where it can take him. Sure, everything would feel a little more solid if Phil Jackson was sitting there with a thin little grin even while these pretty pieces remain unassembled. (Just imagine how steadfast fans would've remained if Jackson had gone winless in the preseason: "Man, that Zen Master's just all about championships! He's just waiting until June. Brilliant!") The Lakers know that Mike Brown's not Phil Jackson. They actually don't expect Brown to push an array of elaborate buttons here. Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchak, Coaching, Mike Brown, Jerry Buss, Jim Buss 

What it does is create a cushion in which a team like the Lakers that is getting somewhere between $2 and $4 billion over 20 years from Time Warner doesn't feel any financial pressure to go deep into the luxury tax to retain players. Let's put the estimate of what Time Warner is paying L.A. at the low end, $2 billion. That's $100 million per year the Lakers are getting from Time Warner. If TW is paying the Lakers $4 billion over 20 years, that's $200 million a year the Lakers get from local TV. That's before they get their cut of the national TV deals, or sell a ticket, or lease a suite, or sell signage inside Staples Center. That means the Lakers have no problems with a team salary that exceeds $90 million, or goes up to $100 million, with the resultant luxury taxes. It's already paid for. That's the edge the Lakers have over teams whose local TV deals pay them, say, $10 million a year. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Media, Jim Buss, Staples Center 

The Lakers never will go into the red even though they're paying tens of millions in luxury taxes, while other teams who don't even get to the tax threshold wind up losing millions. And even if the Lakers go into the red one year, they know there's another $100 million coming next year. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Media, Jim Buss, Staples Center