Lakers procrastinating on coaching search just in case LeBron or Carmelo might want to come to LA
The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a pretty horrible season, but unlike the Celtics, they currently don't have a head coach, and their star player is nearing the end of his career and hogging a great deal of cap space.
A report from Sam Amick indicates that sources close to the Lakers are saying that they are dawdling with their search for a head coach due to the possibility that an All-Star like LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony might come to Los Angeles, in which case, they would want more freedom to "allow any possible players who sign with them to offer some input" in the selection process. Basically, they wouldn't want to hire a coach that would potentially deter a high caliber free agent from coming to LA.
From USA Today:
The slow pace of the Lakers' coaching search that began April 30 when Mike D'Antoni resigned has been timed deliberately with the upcoming free agency period in the NBA, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Specifically, the idea that the Lakers could beat the odds and land the likes of the Heat's LeBron James, the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony or any of the other superstars who may be free agents on July 1 has led the Lakers to plod through their process so as to not limit their potential options. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the search...
...As the Lakers see it, it's not a necessity to have a coach in time for the June 26 draft, in which they'll pick seventh overall. And while they're not willing to let a star player pick the coach, keeping the vacancy open would allow any possible players who sign with them to offer some input into the process.
In my opinion, I think the Lakers are a bit delusional if they are delaying their head coaching search in the hopes to grab Carmelo or LeBron. Especially after Dwight Howard, one of the most sought after All-Stars at the time, had such a horrible experience after coming to LA, and Kobe Bryant's contract is sucking up a ton of the Lakers' cap space. Why terminate your contract and go into a likely dysfunctional situation/take a possible pay cut/gamble on Kobe having an injury-free season when there are other less risky and more profitable options available?
Anyways, I hope the report is correct and the Lakers are indeed delaying their search process for a head coach for LeBron or Melo. I don't mind the chaos in Lakerland one bit.
h/t skematik in the shoutbox for sharing the link
