The Lakers Reportedly Now Also Want Nick Nurse To Be Their Next Head Coach As They Desperately Try And Find Someone To Lead Their Sinking Ship
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(The Athletic) - After a failed season that started with a draft-night trade heightening championship expectations and ended outside of the postseason, the Lakers must re-evaluate everything, from their decision-making to how they surround two All-NBA pillars to their coaching staff. And changes could come soon.
The Lakers are expected to fire head coach Frank Vogel, sources tell The Athletic. Among the franchise’s top targets for the position, multiple sources say, is Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.
In three seasons as Lakers coach, Vogel helped lead the franchise to the 2020 NBA championship and had a 127-98 record. But these Lakers have been searching for a new voice, and Vogel, who is entering the final year of his contract, saw defensive slippage and had his voice wane throughout the season.
Nurse, who led the Raptors to a championship in 2019, signed a multiyear contract extension in 2020 and has two years left on his deal. It’s unclear whether he will be attainable or whether he would have interest, but the Lakers are hoping the former Coach of the Year is an option with the allure of coaching James and Davis and the appeal of the Los Angeles market. To acquire Nurse, the Lakers would need to receive permission from the Raptors and likely engage them on a prospective trade.
Maybe it's just me, but we're technically only 1 day into the Lakers offseason and I cannot get enough of this shit. Everything that's happened since the Lakers were officially eliminated from the play in has been a true joy to watch. First there were the leaks that they wanted Doc Rivers to come in and save the franchise. That's pretty damn funny by itself. Then last night we get the whole texting Woj to fire Frank Vogel because they are too embarrassing of a franchise to do it themselves. Now, after alllllll that, we hear that they actually now have their sights set on Nick Nurse. Let's just think about this for a second.
The Lakers have
- A near 40 year old best player who is most likely only there another season
- A very injury prone 2nd best player who they mortgaged their future for
- A rapidly declining Russell Westbrook on the hook for $47M unless someone bites on a trade
- No future draft picks to help improve immediately
- No cap space
- No real difference makers in terms of young talent currently on the roster
- Just pulled off a disaster of a firing situation with their former head coach
Now let's compare that to what the Raptors are currently working with
- Their best players are entering their prime
- Nurse is treated like a God in a city in which he won their first ever title
- They have a much better roster
- They have much better young talent
- They have picks/exceptions available to improve the roster
- They have a projected $32M in luxury tax cap space
- He basically has a job for live in his current spot, on a team that is already in the playoffs
On paper, it seems like Nick Nurse would be pretty crazy to leave all that right? Then you realize the Raptors would have to give them permission, and why the hell would they? What could they possibly have to trade that the Raptors would want? If it's a money issue, you don't think the Raptors will just extend Nurse at a higher salary? They just went through this shit with Masai Ujiri when he was the hottest name on the market after that 2019 title. This exact franchise proved you don't need to be a big market team like the Lakers in order to win a title, so that pitch is out as well.
This is latest report is essentially the root of everything revolving the Lakers. It's Lakers privilege at its finest. They think that just because they're the Lakers that they can just have the pick of the litter. That all they have to do is say they are interested in someone and they'll just get what they want to the point where other teams will let a coach with 2 years left on his deal walk. For what…THT and a 2035 1st round pick? Newsflash, they stink and have no future. The allure of LeBron/AD isn't as attractive as they probably think. If you were to ask anyone with eyes and a brain who has the brighter future over the next 5 years, who is picking the Lakers over the Raptors?
Now I won't sit here and pretend that people don't force their way to LA. We just saw it happen. But these Lakers? In 2022? When the reward for winning a title is that Woj will be the one to fire you if you underachieve for reasons that were out of your control? Who in their right mind would willingly sign up for that when you already live like a king in your current job.