Frank Vogel is officially no longer the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and the rumor mill has been churning as potential candidates’ names are being discussed across the league. Nick Nurse is reportedly a top target for the Lakers, but one of the other names mentioned quite often is that of Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers.
Rivers is currently waiting for his team’s first-round series to begin, with the Sixers taking on the Toronto Raptors, who will likely prove to be tricky customers. A lot is riding on this postseason, with Daryl Morey having managed to get James Harden in and pair him up with Joel Embiid, giving Doc a duo that should be leading Philly deep into the playoffs.
And Doc isn’t too thrilled with all the rumors now, dismissing any link with the Lakers instead of focusing on his current job. He said as much when asked about his thoughts on potentially coaching that team next season.
#Sixers coach Doc Rivers on rumors of him being a candidate to coach the #Lakers: ‘I have a job. We want to win here.’ Says the entire staff is happy in Philly.
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) April 12, 2022
“I have a job. I want to win here.”
There’s nothing else Doc can be expected to say at this point, it would raise all kinds of problems if he seriously addressed it as a possibility a few days before the postseason begins in earnest. The Lakers will try their best to lure their targets to the franchise in the offseason though, and it’s very hard for anyone associated with the NBA to turn down the Purple and Gold out of hand.
The flip side of this though, is that if the Sixers falter in the first few rounds of the playoffs again, his job may not be very secure either. Things change fast in the NBA and one series can decide and alter the futures of players and coaches in the space of just a few days. Considering his tenure with the Clippers though, it would be quite wild to see Rivers coaching the Lakers next season.
