Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers are “widely expected” to relieve head coach Luke Walton of his duties after the season and are reportedly interested in bringing on Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Stein made it clear, however, that the Lakers likely won’t have a chance at landing the 59-year-old. The Times reporter previously revealed that Carlisle, who has coached the Mavs since 2008 and led the team to the 2010-11 NBA title, received a raise and a one-year extension through the 2022-23 campaign before this season began.
Plus, Carlisle is seemingly in a much better spot in Dallas.
The Mavs may be just 29-44, but they have a clear direction and future. Eventual NBA Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic and 23-year-old Kristaps Porzingis comprise the team’s core, and the team has a boatload of future cap space with no one currently under contract in 2021-22, per HoopsHype. Dallas is a team on the rise and could realistically be back in the postseason as soon as next year.
Meanwhile, the future in Los Angeles, which has endured a highly stressful regular season filled with injuries, trade rumors and inconsistent play, is currently opaque.
New Orleans Pelicans superstar big man Anthony Davis has been the subject of Lakers trade rumors for months, but Marc J. Spears of ESPN (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports) reported on March 13 that the Pelicans refuse to deal him to Los Angeles.
Davis could sign with Los Angeles as a free agent in 2020, but he may also simply decide to head elsewhere.
That leaves the Lakers’ future murky, especially when it seems like a lot of eggs are in one basket based off rumors.
In addition, it obviously doesn’t help to have a 24/7/365 sports-media microscope on you at all times as the coach of one of the most popular American sports franchises either. Ultimately, Carlisle is in a better spot.
As for who may land the Lakers’ gig, Stein reported that the “name most frequently cited in league coaching circles is the very available Tyronn Lue.”
The ex-Laker guard coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from January 2016 to October 2018, winning the 2016 NBA Finals. He was also the Cavs’ associate head coach from 2014 to 2016 and coached ex-Cavalier and current Laker LeBron James for four seasons. He was fired following the Cavs’ 0-6 start this year.
from Top Viral News Blog https://ift.tt/2FuSesO
0 Comments