The Los Angeles Lakers have been out of the mainstream NBA conversation for a while thanks to the fact that they didn’t make it to the postseason. However, one of the biggest stories of the summer will still be what they decide to do with their roster after a horrid season. One major change is already out of the way with Frank Vogel leaving the Lakers and the search for a new head coach has already begun.
Doc Rivers was named as a potential candidate, but Daryl money confirmed he will be with the Sixers next season. Raptors Head Coach Nick Nurse doesn’t seem interested either and the Utah Jazz’s Quin Snyder reportedly didn’t like the way the Lakers treated Frank Vogel on his way out.
Whoever the next coach is, one of the biggest question marks remains Russell Westbrook and his future on the team. Whether Russ will still be part of the team is already a matter of great speculation, but the latest report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick suggests that he might just be in the team’s plans for next season:
“The notion of Russell Westbrook remaining part of their program is seeming more real all the time. Despite the widely held belief that the Lakers would find a way to trade Westbrook before the start of next season, sources say their coaching candidates have been asked to discuss how they would use him in their system during interviews. The takeaway for candidates, it seems, is that maximizing Westbrookâs presence after his disastrous 2021-22 season is considered an important part of this job.”
The Lakers asking potential candidates about how they would use Westbrook points to the fact that they could very well run it back. However, considering that averaged just 18 points and 3.8 turnovers this season, that might not be something that many Lakers fans want to see next season.
