The Los Angeles Lakers have had a disappointing season this year, missing the playoffs after having to deal with injuries throughout the year. There is no doubt that some changes must be made for the Los Angeles Lakers to become a championship-caliber team.
Phil Jackson is a former coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has been mentioned as someone that is helping the team search for a head coach. It is easy to see how consulting a championship-winning coach could be a good move for the Lakers.
“This is very much a committee in L.A. putting together this coaching search. And one person who is certainly significantly involved in this process is Phil Jackson. He’s got a voice in this. He did last time when they hired Frank Vogel. He and Kurt Rambis, He had been somebody they had considered with the Knicks before hiring Derek Fisher in New York… They’re moving deliberately. They’re not doing seven or eight or nine candidates all at once. They’re kind of going down a list and taking their time with it. I think that process is going to take a bit.”
Recently, Lakers insider Bill Plaschke claimed that Phil Jackson wants the Los Angeles Lakers to trade LeBron James, and keep Russell Westbrook on the roster. There is no doubt that this is a controversial opinion held by the former coach. (11:10)
I’ve heard that Phil would like LeBron traded. I’ve hust heard that. But I’ve got no on the record stuff to back that up. I do know that Phil would like them to keep Westbrook and try to make things work with him.
This is definitely a take that will get some hate from fans. LeBron James is still a top-tier superstar that can contribute to winning a championship, while Russell Westbrook was inconsistent for the majority of the season.
It remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Lakers do, in fact, do what Phil Jackson wants. He has no formal position in the front office, and there have been reports that some people related to the organization are upset that his voice is being taken into account when it comes to franchise decision-making. Anything should be considered when trying to make moves to better the franchise, though, so we’ll see what the front office ends up doing.
