The coaching position for the Los Angeles Lakers will likely be vacant with Frank Vogel all but officially fired from his job. The end to that relationship might have been ugly but Vogel was instrumental in leading the Lakers to a championship, and with LeBron James and Anthony Davis looking like they’ll stick around, another coach may now get the chance to win a ring with the superstar duo as well.
Several names have been suggested for the position, Doc Rivers and Quinn Snyder among them. But another name came to light earlier in the week, with a supposed Eastern Conference source suggesting that he expected the Lakers to ‘ask about’ Raptors Head Coach Nick Nurse. And now that has been corroborated by none other than Shams Charania, who has named Nurse a ‘top target’ for the franchise in his latest piece for The Athletic.
The Lakers are eyeing a recent NBA championship coach for their expected head coach opening – and which Eastern Conference team could emerge as a trade partner for Russell Westbrook.
Inside what’s next for the Lakers at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/ypKlNeQyIr
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 11, 2022
“Among the franchise’s top targets for the position, multiple sources say, is Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. Nurse, who led the Raptors to a championship in 2019, signed a multi-year contract extension in 2020 and has two years left on his deal.
“It’s unclear whether he will be attainable or whether he would have interest, but the Lakers are hoping the former Coach of the Year is an option with the allure of coaching James and Davis and the appeal of the Los Angeles market. To acquire Nurse, the Lakers would need to receive permission from the Raptors and likely engage them on a prospective trade.”
Nurse has again coached an impressive season for the Raptors this year, leading them to the 5th seed and a first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the Raptors are not expected to make a run to the Finals this season, and considering the allure that the Lakers have as a franchise, a move isn’t entirely impossible. It does, however, remain quite improbable.
