The Lakers appear to be using a “worst case scenario” strategy in the early stages of their search for a new head coach.
The two most notable names associated with the Lakers' opening day are Jason Kidd and Ty Lue, candidates currently employed elsewhere in the league. Lue is at least in the final year of his current contract, but neither is that realistic.
But the Lakers seem to understand that. Longtime NBA reporter Mark Stein updated Kidd in the latest Substack newsletter and said the Lakers don't expect him or Lue to be available.
According to league sources, Kidd could receive a contract extension in the near future after leading Dallas to two 50-win seasons and three playoff series wins in four attempts during his three seasons as Mavericks coach. It is said to be expensive.
I've heard that the Lakers don't expect Kidd to become a coaching free agent any more than they hope to give Lue a chance.
Similar to Kidd, the Clippers are considering negotiating a contract extension with Lue this summer, according to a report on Friday. There's also the part where Lue almost got shot down and joined the Lakers after the Clippers lost to the Mavericks, crawling out of the first round.
This feels similar to how the team pursued Nick Nurse during the last coaching search. At the time, Nurse was employed by the Raptors and the Lakers also had interest in him, but he never meant anything.
An agreement for Lue or Kidd not to be the Lakers' head coach next season hasn't been finalized yet, but it feels like that's further out than at any point in history. And that was already a pretty big goal.
The Lakers will have to change their approach to the other candidates mentioned, whether they're assistants, former coaches, or neither, JJ Redick. However, it seems unlikely that they will be able to catch any big fish on this expedition.
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