Shams Charania: The Lakers have requested permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant Charles Lee for their head coaching job, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
More on Lakers Coaching Search
Adrian Wojnarowski: 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.
Plaschke noted in his interview that in his discussion with Jeanie, she pushed back against the mere idea of trading LeBron, so it certainly doesn’t feel like that is a remote possibility. He also said he believes the Lakers would keep Westbrook next season and would make it a requirement for the next head coach to make it work with Westbrook, LeBron and Anthony Davis.
Former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin and Jackson are the four known candidates to have interviewed with the Lakers to date. Sources maintain that the Lakers’ search is moving deliberately at least in part because L.A. wants to see if Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers or Utah's Quin Snyder makes it to the open market this offseason.
Mark Jackson was indeed a Klutch client in the past and, sources say, maintains a strong relationship with Klutch CEO Rich Paul, whose foremost client, of course, is the Lakers’ LeBron James. There is undeniably a level of support within the Klutch camp for Jackson’s candidacy with the Lakers, but Jackson’s chances of finally getting another NBA coaching shot after an eight-year wait are much stronger with Sacramento.
Shams Charania: The Los Angeles Lakers have interviewed former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson for their head coaching job, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium . Jackson is among the finalists for the Sacramento Kings head coach opening.
Shams Charania: Lakers request permission to interview Toronto Raptors assistant for LA’s head coaching job, sources say:
Josh Lewenberg: Masai said he's been getting calls about Adrian Griffin, among other Raptors assistants. It would appear one of those calls was from the Lakers. "I think Adrian is right there on the cusp of becoming a head coach in this league"- Ujiri on Griffin yesterday.
Adrian Wojnarowski: “This is very much a committee in L.A. putting together this coaching search. And one person who is certainly significantly involved in this process is Phil Jackson. He’s got a voice in this. He did last time when they hired Frank Vogel. He and Kurt Rambis, (Vogel) had been somebody they had considered with the Knicks before hiring Derek Fisher in New York... They’re moving deliberately. They’re not doing seven or eight or nine candidates all at once. They’re kind of going down a list and taking their time with it. I think that process is going to take a bit.”
Marc Stein: Phil Jackson is advising the Lakers on their coaching search, @espn reports.
The search for Vogel's successor is widely expected to move slower than most because the Lakers need to find an established coach who can win LeBron James' buy-in. The most capable coaches are obviously employed elsewhere already.
Michigan's Juwan Howard is known to hold James' respect after their time together in Miami but is said to be firm in his desire to stay with the Wolverines to coach sons Jace and Jett. Toronto's Nick Nurse and Snyder — also frequently cited as candidates for the post — are not currently available, so pursuing them (or others under contract) comes with complications.
The Lakers have been given permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Times Friday afternoon.
The Lakers' interest in Snyder as a successor to Frank Vogel is serious, sources say. There is nonetheless ongoing skepticism in coaching circles that Snyder would want to move from Utah — where he has enjoyed a considerable amount of control and influence — to take over the LeBron James-led Lakers in their current state after the never-ending chaos that engulfed Vogel's last two seasons. Vogel, remember, wasn't allowed to choose any of his primary assistant coaches and had to take constant input from Lakers front office adviser Kurt Rambis.
As we've been reporting here since March, San Antonio and the Lakers are believed to have interest in Snyder should he become available. In the Lakers’ case, actually, it has zoomed well past belief. There would certainly be other teams as well if Snyder became a coaching free agent despite Utah’s string of painful playoff endings after regular-season excellence.
Shams Charania: Sources: The Lakers have requested permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for their head coach opening. Ham served as a Lakers assistant from 2011-13. The team is starting the next stage of the coaching search process.
Tom Moore: #Sixers coach Doc Rivers on rumors of him being a candidate to coach the #Lakers: ‘I have a job. We want to win here.’ Says the entire staff is happy in Philly.
Justin Grasso: Doc Rivers on coaching change rumors around the league during the season: “I think it’s disrespectful to all of the other coaches…. It makes our jobs so much harder. I think the Frank Vogel thing was so unfair….. it’s just not right and I hate it” #Sixers
Chris Haynes: The Los Angeles Lakers have informed coach Frank Vogel that he’s being relieved of his duties, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Dave McMenamin: The Lakers have not dismissed any of the Lakers coaching staff along with Vogel at this time, league sources told ESPN.
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Frank Vogel to a multi-year contract as head coach, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.
“We are excited to add Frank Vogel as the next head coach of the Lakers,” said Pelinka. “Coach Vogel has a proven track record of success in the NBA Playoffs, and he reflects the core qualities we were looking for in a head coach – including, detailed game preparation, extreme hard work, and holding players accountable to the highest basketball standards.”
“I am very excited for this opportunity to join the Lakers, a prestigious organization that I have long admired,” said Vogel. “I look forward to coaching such phenomenal talent and bringing my strategic vision to the team.”
Kyle Goon: Vogel won't be formally introduced until next Monday after the Lakers have been through the draft lottery and NBA Combine.
Frank Vogel has agreed to a three-year deal to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told ESPN. Vogel met with Lakers management on Thursday and talks escalated quickly toward an offer on Saturday to end the franchise's tumultuous coaching process with his hiring, sources said.
Jason Kidd has agreed to a deal to become a prominent assistant coach on Vogel's staff, league sources said. The Lakers are enthusiastic about the prospects of Kidd working with point guard Lonzo Ball on a full-time basis, and Kidd does have a strong relationship and history with LeBron James.
Vogel's emerging candidacy speaks to the significant influence of Lakers advisor Kurt Rambis and former coach Phil Jackson, whose opinions weigh heavily with owner Jeanie Buss. Jackson and Rambis had strongly considered Vogel's candidacy in New York before hiring Jeff Hornacek in 2016. Rambis was deeply involved in the interview and evaluation process of the coaching candidates since Luke Walton and the franchise parted ways last month.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Frank Vogel's contract with the Lakers, per sources: Three years.
Former Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel has emerged as the front-runner to be offered the Los Angeles Lakers' head-coaching job, league sources told ESPN. The Lakers are planning to pair Jason Kidd with Vogel as an assistant coach, league sources said.
Vogel's emerging candidacy speaks to the significant influence of Lakers adviser Kurt Rambis and former coach Phil Jackson, whose opinions weigh heavily with owner Jeanie Buss. Vogel was the runner-up to Jeff Hornacek when Jackson hired a New York Knicks replacement for Derek Fisher in the summer of 2016. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has spent the past few days gathering information from those who have worked with both Vogel and Kidd about how they believe those two could complement each other on a Lakers coaching staff, league sources said.
Vogel flew to Los Angeles on Thursday and met with Pelinka and his front office and had detailed discussions on how Vogel would approach the possibility of taking over what has become a volatile situation. The Lakers are under tremendous pressure to partner LeBron James with a suitable replacement to Luke Walton and to start to quell the turmoil that's surrounding the organization.
Former Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel made a strong impression in his interview with the Los Angeles Lakers and the sides are planning to talk again soon about the team's head coaching job, league sources told ESPN. After the Lakers top two targets, Monty Williams and Ty Lue rejected the franchise's offers, the Lakers reset their search and Vogel is emerging as a serious candidate, sources said. Vogel flew to Los Angeles on Thursday and met with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and his front office and had detailed discussions on how he'd approach the possibility of taking over what has become a volatile situation.
Vogel was the runner up to Jeff Hornacek when Phil Jackson hired a replacement for Derek Fisher in the summer of 2016. Jackson remains strongly tied to a Lakers hierarchy that includes controlling owner Jeanie Buss and advisor Kurt Rambis.
Scott Agness: Frank Vogel’s interview with the Lakers on Thursday went well, I’m told. He remained in Orlando this year so his family didn’t have to move and he followed the league closely, eager to land another head-coaching gig.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Kidd has been selling the Lakers on his ability to develop young talent and would be especially excited to work alongside Lonzo Ball: I don’t want to pull back the curtain too much but I’ve spent a considerable amount of time talking to Jason Kidd about the Lakers job. I can’t say that I know exactly what he said to them in his interview, but I have a general idea of what his vision for the team was and I think one of the things that Jason really believed in was developing their young players. Again, I don’t want to violate too much of a confidence here, but when we spoke about it, I really do think he was a big believer in Lonzo Ball. He thinks Lonzo Ball can really be a good player. He wants to help develop him.
Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson and former Nets coach Lionel Hollins have been informed that they are among the head coaches on the Lakers' radar, league sources confirmed to SNY. The Lakers' coaching search re-opened earlier this week when negotiations between Tyronn Lue and Los Angeles reportedly fell apart.
The organization communicated its interest in both Woodson and Hollins in the wake of things falling apart with Lue, per sources. It is unknown if a meeting between the Lakers, and either coach has been scheduled yet.
If he switches conferences, one of the leading options could be joining his former teammate LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Brian Windhorst, who has extensively covered both of these players, this has recently become more likely than ever (via ESPN): “As time passes here, I would’ve said that this is impossible for many months. But as time passes here and as the possibility exists that Jason Kidd could be hired as the Lakers coach, I think the possibility of Kyrie and LeBron reuniting — that door, which was deadbolted, has been un-deadbolted and has now been cracked open … 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.”
The Lakers will continue their search for a new coach by interviewing J.B. Bickerstaff on Friday at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, according to several people who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Bickerstaff is scheduled to meet with 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.
Rajon Rondo said as much when he appeared on Wednesday's NBA Countdown on ESPN. He stated it about as clearly as he could at the 6:30 mark of the interview: if the Lakers don't have a head coach soon, he isn't interested in returning to the team. "At this point in my career, a head coach is big for me," Rondo said. "It's all about a relationship. So if they don't have one, it's a no go for me." In a vacuum, this would not be the worst thing to hear. The Lakers probably don't plan to bring Rondo back next season anyway. Lonzo Ball is the starting point guard of the future, and Alex Caruso earned a backup job with his strong play down the stretch. The Lakers aren't going to make a major investment in a non-shooting point guard that is aging quickly.
In light of the failed pursuit of former Cleveland Cavaliers head Tyronn Lue by the Los Angeles Lakers, disgruntled fans are planning to stage a protest outside of Staples Center on Friday at 12 p.m. The protest was organized by Reddit user Charlie Rivers (u/C-P-R) in an effort to get the attention of Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss, who he says doesn’t care about the fans but “cares what the media says.”
Ramona Shelburne: Negotiations really deteriorated w/ Ty Lue when the Lakers refused to offer more than a three year deal that was designed to line up with LeBron James’ contract. Lue felt insulted the Lakers only saw him as a coach for LeBron, sources close to the process told ESPN.
Ramona Shelburne: One league source said it appeared that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka never expected negotiations could fall apart as they did because Lue didn’t have other offers. Lue was seeking a 5-year deal, believing his championship experience commanded it.
Shams Charania: The Los Angeles Lakers are adding these former NBA coaches to their coaching search: Lionel Hollins, Frank Vogel and Mike Woodson, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Tania Ganguli: Juwan Howard and Jason Kidd are still in the pool of candidates for the Lakers' coaching job. Can also confirm they are adding Lionel Hollins, Frank Vogel and Mike Woodson to their list of candidates, as first reported by @Shams Charania
Dave McMenamin: Ty Lue and his reps turned down the Lakers’ offer Tuesday, per league sources. LAL regrouped with an offer in the range of 3 years, $18 million today. Lue’s side pulled out of negotiations. Lue’s camp seeking 5 year deal with salary commensurate with championship resume
Chris Haynes: Yahoo Sources: Lakers offered Tyronn Lue a three-year deal. Lue requested a five-year pact, same length issued to Luke Walton. Under Lakers’ proposal, the contract of Lue and LeBron James would have expired at the same time.
The Lakers pushed for former NBA coaches Frank Vogel and Jason Kidd to be added to Lue’s coaching staff, sources said. Although Lue wasn’t fond of having his staff picked for him, he would have relented if his contract terms were met, sources said.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Lakers advisor Kurt Rambis is playing a major role in the franchise's coaching search, league sources tell ESPN. He's emerging as a powerful voice in basketball operations.
Richard Jefferson: I feel bad for my guys.... which one?!? All of them, T-LUE, Bron and Luke!! This is what Luke was working with, this is what T-LUE didn’t want to get involved with and this is what Bron is dealing with.
Tania Ganguli: The Lakers have decided to move on from Ty Lue as they search for their next head coach, having determined he isn't the right long-term fit for the organization, according to a team source.
Brad Turner: Ty Lue and his representatives have informed the Lakers that he is moving on from trying to be hired as the Lakers' new coach, sources. Lue and his reps thanked the Lakers.
Beyond an inability to agree on contractual terms, the Lakers had proposed several scenarios involving their preferred candidates for assistant coaches, including Jason Kidd, league sources said. The Cleveland Cavaliers still owe Lue $10-plus million on his contract payout, and accepting a less-than-market value deal from the Lakers could ultimately cost him money.
General manager Rob Pelinka and front office advisor Kurt Rambis had interviewed Kidd for the head coaching job, and became convinced that he should be a key member of a Lue coaching staff, league sources said. They believed Kidd could be impactful with point guard Lonzo Ball, and were impressed with the Milwaukee Bucks player development during his tenure there. It isn't believed that Lue had objections to Kidd joining his staff, but the two had not discussed the possibility directly, league sources said.
Marc Stein: Among the issues that have led to a breakdown in talks between the Lakers and Ty Lue: League sources say that the Lakers have been trying to impose their choices for assistant coaches on Lue. @espn first reported the impasse between the Lakers are Lue
Marc Stein: As @NYTSports reported late in the regular season, management's dismay with Luke Walton's staff was among the reasons Walton fell out of favor with the front office before the abrupt resignation of team president Magic Johnson on April 9
Tania Ganguli: The word last season was that if Walton had kept his job, he was going to have to shake up his staff. I wondered going into this if their views on the makeup of the staff would affect negotiations with Lue.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Negotiations between the Los Angeles Lakers and Ty Lue have reached an impasse without a deal to make him the franchise’s next head coach, league sources tell ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Discussions have included talks on contract and assistant coaching staff, sources said. Among Lakers hopes on a Lue staff: Jason Kidd. He made a strong impression with management in his head coaching interview and had a productive history w/ Bucks developing young talent.
Sam Amick: "My understanding is that the Lakers never, and the terminology that was given to me is curious and probably telling, they never officially offered Monty the job. It seems that, the way I translated that, was that they might have wanted him but then did want him … to the tune of whatever he got from Phoenix.”
Lue was not the unanimous favorite to replace Walton among the Lakers’ many decision-makers in the wake of Magic Johnson’s abrupt April 9 resignation. He was indeed favored over Monty Williams, but there were some nagging fears among a minority of the team’s power brokers — as mentioned here previously — that hiring LeBron’s former Cleveland Cavaliers coach would be giving James too much control in Lakerland.
Lue’s supporters within the organization ultimately deduced that there was only one way Lue could rise to the level of unanimous choice to succeed Walton — by waiting until Williams was no longer available. Hence the relatively slow pace, spanning a full month, of the Lakers’ search for Walton’s successor.
It must be noted that the Lakers hadn’t made the hiring of Lue official as of this newsletter’s publication Tuesday afternoon. Putting more distance between Williams’ hiring in Phoenix and a Lue announcement appears to matter greatly to them, which is strange when you consider that the Lakers have appeared utterly unconcerned for so long by the unflattering optics stemming from their refusal to modernize so many other elements of the operation.
The reports of Lue wanting to add his former colleague in Boston, Tom Thibodeau, to his coaching staff are also true. LeBron, through intermediaries, has let it be known that Thibodeau would be a huge asset to have on the bench. LeBron’s close associates were gauging Thibodeau’s interest in becoming a top assistant two weeks ago. It would be similar to the role Mike Brown and Ron Adams serve under Steve Kerr in Golden State. Thibodeau, however, is owed a lot of money from the Minnesota Timberwolves and the feeling is that he would prefer a head coaching job. Thibodeau has the resume and income to be patient. Plus, after dealing with an unstable management group in Minnesota, Thibodeau may be taking a wait-and-see approach with the “new-look” Lakers.
A person close to LeBron has denied that LeBron is pushing for any head coach or assistant coach which is in keeping with LeBron’s “I just work here” public posture. The same person was willing to acknowledge that LeBron has the “utmost respect” for Thibodeau.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Tyronn Lue are in the process of working on a contract agreement that would make Lue the franchise’s next head coach, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Lue, 42, has not accepted the position yet as both sides continue to focus on contractual parameters, sources said.
If Lue takes the job, Frank Vogel — former coach of the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic — could join his staff as a lead assistant, sources said. Kurt Rambis — a former Lakers player and coach whose wife, Linda, is a trusted confidant and adviser to team owner Jeanie Buss — has had a significant role in the hiring process, sources said.
The Los Angeles Lakers are proceeding toward an offer to Ty Lue in the coming days and have no plans to introduce new candidates into their head-coaching search, league sources told ESPN. The team has been on its own timetable throughout this process and has yet to offer the job to any candidate, league sources said.
The Lakers are poised to make an offer to Tyronn Lue to become their next head coach, and he will come with two endorsers who have 10 Lakers championships between them. Phil Jackson, who coached Lue, and Magic Johnson, who stepped down as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations last month, told Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss that they supported the hiring of Lue, according to a person familiar with their discussions.
Johnson and Buss had a dinner Thursday night during which they discussed Buss’ pending decision. Johnson expressed his support for Lue and impressed upon Buss how difficult a feat it is to make three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, the source said. Buss had been taking her time to be deliberate and not have the Lakers rush into any decision.
Lue and James remained close and are both expected to attend the boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs on Saturday in Las Vegas, where Lue has a home. There were some in the Lakers organization who worried about the perception that if they hired Lue, James had too much power within the organization. Ultimately, the Lakers have decided not to worry about such perceptions.
The last two people the Lakers interviewed for their head-coaching vacancy — Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams on Thursday and former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue on Wednesday — were impressed by how thorough the Lakers’ contingent was during their conversations with both men, according to people familiar with the talks.
Neither Williams nor Lue were offered the job and neither was given a timetable on when the Lakers will make their decision, said the people who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Miami assistant coach Juwan Howard also impressed the Lakers during his interview Tuesday at the practice facility in El Segundo, according to people with knowledge of the talks.
Bill Oram: The Lakers are sending a big contingent to Philadelphia today for Monty Williams' second interview, sources tell @sam_amick and me. Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss leading a group that also includes Joey Buss, Jesse Buss, Kurt and Linda Rambis, and COO Tim Harris.
The goal is seemingly to move Rambis to the bench as an associate head coach. But if that doesn’t work, he could become the assistant general manager.
The Suns appear determined to preempt a Lakers offer, which sources say was part of the timing in the dismissal of former coach Igor Kokoskov on Monday. The Lakers will have completed second interviews with Williams and Ty Lue before the end of Thursday night, and could be closer to reaching a decision on whom to offer the job.
