Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have requested an interview with Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham for their head coaching vacancy, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. 

Per that report, the Lakers are "starting the next stage of the coaching search process."

Ham has also received permission to interview with the Sacramento Kings for their coaching vacancy, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

The 48-year-old spent eight years in the NBA as a role player for the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, averaging 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in his career. 

He transitioned into NBA coaching in 2011, serving as an assistant for the Lakers for two seasons. He's since had stints in Atlanta (2013-14 to 2017-18) and Milwaukee (2018-19 to present). 

The Lakers, meanwhile, are seeking to replace Frank Vogel, who went 127-98 as the head coach, reached the playoffs in two of his three seasons and won a title with the team. But the Lakers were a woeful 33-49 this season and, despite poor roster construction and a spate of injuries, Vogel was the first scapegoat to fall. 

The Lakers are sure to cast a wide net, with recent reports linking them to Utah Jazz head honcho Quin Snyder. Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote that Philadelphia's Doc Rivers and Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Brown were also "realistic coaching candidates." 

And Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has also been linked to the vacancy. 

The Lakers will hope to draw a high-profile candidate with the allure of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and an address in sunny Los Angeles. The team's tumultuous 2021-22 season and the manner in which the Vogel firing was handled may play a part in which of those candidates entertain the possibility of joining the franchise, however. 

Master P has the answer to the Los Angeles Lakers' woes: himself.

The rapper advocated for himself as the Lakers' next head coach, saying he would bring in a star-studded group of assistant coaches.

"They need some alpha males over there. Can't get nothing bigger than me," Master P told TMZ Sports (around the 1:30 mark). "If you want to win, bring me in. At least give it a shot because this is Hollywood. When you look at the Lakers, I know what Mr. Buss done, he thought outside the box. So, if Jeanie Buss wants to think outside the box, I'll bring some hell of assistant coaches with me like Shaq, John Lucas. I don't know if Shaq wants to do that, but if he do, we can take over."

While most know Master P for his rap career and business empire, he also has basketball bonafides. The 51-year-old spent time on the training camp roster of the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in 1999 but didn't make the roster for either team. 

This isn't the first time Master P has stumped for a coaching job. A year ago, the New Orleans native said he wanted to take over the Pelicans after Stan Van Gundy's firing.

The team ultimately chose to go in another direction, as almost certainly will the Lakers. That said, it's hard to believe Master P would have done a worse job than the disaster that took place during the 2021-22 season in Los Angeles. 

Lamar Odom knows just the guy who can get the Los Angeles Lakers out of their current mess.

"Phil Jackson, I know can coach LeBron with the triangle offense," the two-time NBA champion said to TMZ Sports. "I think that would keep [LeBron] around a little longer. Preserve him a little longer. I would love for Phil Jackson to be the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers."

Odom even went so far as to say the Lakers would be the championship favorites with Jackson back on the sideline.

The "Zen Master" hasn't coached since 2010-11, but The Athletic's Sam Amick and Bill Oram reported in March he has maintained an unofficial role within the Lakers organization.

The 76-year-old is undoubtedly one of the greatest basketball coaches ever. He won 11 championships with the Lakers and Chicago Bulls and helped both franchises enjoy era-defining success on the court.

Jackson's disastrous tenure as team president of the New York Knicks seemed to show how out of touch with the modern game he had become, though. His ideas on strategy are outdated, and he provoked Knicks players and stars around the league with pointed remarks.

While it's possible he has learned from his mistakes in New York, it's still tough to imagine a worse hire for the Lakers than Jackson.

Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James questioned the WNBA's draft eligibility policy on Twitter Tuesday:

Per WNBA.com: "The league requires draft entrants to be at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place and has no remaining college eligibility or renounces any future college eligibility."

On one hand, women's college hoops has players with eligibility remaining who could star in the WNBA this year.

Three of the six players on the Associated Press' first team—South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Stanford's Haley Jones—will be back in school next season

That group doesn't even include UConn's Paige Bueckers, the 2020-21 consensus National Player of the Year who sat most of this season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear before leading the Huskies to the national title game.

Other players still in college appear destined for WNBA success, such as Stanford rising junior Cameron Brink, DePaul forward and National Freshman of the Year Aneesah Morrow and Kansas State center Ayoka Lee.

The problem with opening up the draft pool to underclass players (and high schoolers) is that there are only 144 roster spots in the 12-team league, and there isn't a developmental league like the NBA's G League that can act as a safety net for players looking to improve their games and make their jump to the W.

Women's basketball is overflowing with potential professional talent relative to the number of spots available in a 12-team WNBA that's had the same number of teams since 2010. Opening the floodgates prematurely could lead to an overabundance of undrafted underclass players put in a difficult spot, though.

It's tough enough for players in the league to stay there, both on and off the court. Almost half the league plays overseas to supplement their income, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.

The supply of good professional players is simply too much for the lower demand given the amount of roster spots, and that's with the draft pool being so restricted.

Per Erica L. Ayala of the New York Times.

Each season, players are caught in a revolving door of contracts for 144 W.N.B.A. roster spots. Many people inside and outside the league believe now is the time to expand team rosters or teams in the league, or both. With only 12 teams and 12 roster spots on each team, the W.N.B.A. is harder to get in, and stay in, than the N.B.A., especially with most players’ contracts not being guaranteed. The relatively low salaries also push players to make tough choices about when and where to play.

The connecting issue is expanding the league, which saw an increased viewership of 49 percent in 2021 (compared to 2020), per The Athletic. That could hypothetically put the WNBA in a better position to accept underclass players, or at least welcome more WNBA-ready talent on the outside looking in.

The WNBPA is obviously in favor of it, and the organization made its thoughts clear with this Jan. 20 tweet in response to Delta:

Regarding expansion, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that's "part of a transitional plan" but not on the table as of now.

"If you want to broaden your exposure, probably need to be more than 12 cities in a country with 330 million people," Engelbert said to Ayala.

"We’re going to absolutely expand down the road, but we don’t just expand for expansion’s sake until we get the economic model further along."

For now, the WNBA is ready to welcome a new group of rookies led by No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard, a shooting guard of Kentucky who will suit up for the Atlanta Dream. This year's season starts Friday, May 6.

LeBron James could put even more pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers' front office to quickly turn things around by not signing a contract extension this offseason. 

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, James is "considering" playing out his current deal that runs through next season instead of signing a two-year, $97.1 million extension that he's eligible for in August. 

During his end-of-season press conference on Monday, James was coy when asked if he would sign a contract extension this summer. 

"The conversation hasn’t been talked about technically because of the [NBA’s] collective bargaining agreement," James said. "I know it’s out there, but myself and [agent] Rich [Paul] can’t even begin to talk to [GM] Rob [Pelinka] and the front office because of the collective bargaining agreement. When we get to that point, we’ll see."

When James joined the Lakers in July 2018, he signed a four-year, $153.3 million deal. It was his longest contract since receiving a six-year deal from the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010. 

James' longest contract during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers was for three years, but the final year in 2018-19 was a player option. He declined that option to sign with the Lakers. 

This season was a massive disappointment for the Lakers. They finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record, making it the second time in four seasons with James they haven't made the playoffs. 

James and Anthony Davis combined to miss 68 games because of injuries. Russell Westbrook, who was acquired last offseason to ease the burden on James, never really fit in with the top two stars on the team when they were able to play together. 

Assuming Westbrook opts in to his $47.1 million salary for next season, the Lakers will have $150.8 million in salary commitments to eight players. They don't have a first-round draft pick until 2026 stemming from the Davis trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. 

General manager Rob Pelinka and his staff are going to have a difficult task improving the roster this offseason to make the Lakers a title contender. 

When James was healthy, he showed no signs of slowing down in his 19th NBA season. The 37-year-old averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in 56 starts.    

Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are reportedly fans of Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Monday that James and Davis have both "told friends that they like how Nurse coaches." Turner noted the Raptors coach is represented by Klutch Sports, which is also the agency for the Lakers' two cornerstone players.

The update comes after L.A. fired Frank Vogel following one of the most disappointing seasons in recent NBA history as the team missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record.

Despite the interest, it's unclear whether the Lakers have any chance to lure Nurse away from the Raptors.

Turner reported "there hasn't been anything substantiated by way of any discussion from any parties" and added "no one from around the league thinks Toronto will let him leave."

Other candidates listed in the L.A. Times report include the Utah Jazz's Quin Snyder, Philadelphia 76ers' Doc Rivers, University of Michigan's Juwan Howard, Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, former Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford and former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the front office's goal is to hire a new coach before the 2022 NBA draft, which is scheduled for June 23.

Nurse has been a member of the Raptors' coaching staff since 2013 and was promoted to the head coach in 2018. He's guided the franchise to a 186-122 regular-season record and a 23-12 mark in the playoffs, highlighted by the team's 2019 NBA championship.

Toronto went 48-34 this season and is about to start the postseason, so the Lakers will likely have to wait until that run ends to see whether the 54-year-old Iowa native could be a realistic candidate.

Regardless of whether Los Angeles hires Nurse or another one of the candidates, the most important part of the offseason will be spending a second straight year trying to reconstruct the roster around James and Davis. Last summer's effort failed to deliver results.

The Lakers will also need better health from their All-Star duo, who combined to miss 68 games during the 2021-22 campaign, which played a major role in the team failing to meet expectations.

So, while the coaching hire is critically important, it's one of several factors that will determine whether L.A. bounces back in a major way next season.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James told reporters an MRI revealed he will not need offseason surgery on his left ankle even though he missed the team's final five games as it failed to qualify for the playoffs.

James said the plan is to stay off the ankle for four-to-six weeks after he made it worse by appearing in an April 1 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was an injury-plagued 2021-22 season for James, who was ruled out for the remainder of the year on April 8 with the injury. The four-time NBA champion appeared in just 56 games for the Purple and Gold. 

James also missed time with an abdominal strain and left knee swelling. In addition, he was suspended for one game and missed time in the league's health and safety protocols.

Despite the injuries, James had an impressive season, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from deep.

The Lakers were eliminated from the postseason in early April with a 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns. It is the second time in James' four seasons with the franchise that it has missed the postseason.

If the 2021-22 season was Russell Westbrook's only one with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James will be sorry to see him go. 

"I'm not here to make decisions for the front office and that nature," he told reporters when asked if he could see himself playing with Westbrook again. "But I loved being teammates with Russ."

"One thing about Russ that I love, that I'll always love, is his competitive spirit that he brings every single night," James added. "... To have a guy that's reliable and can put on the uniform every single night, you have to respect that."

What James says in public compared to what he actually feels in private about Westbrook's game is harder to parse. 

On the court, Westbrook's addition was borderline disastrous for the Lakers, as he proved to be a poor fit next to James and Anthony Davis when they were healthy and unable to keep the Lakers afloat when that pair dealt with injuries. 

Westbrook, 33, averaged 18.5 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2009-10 season, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists, shooting 44.4 percent from the field, 29.8 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line. 

The Lakers were outscored by four points per 100 possessions when Westbrook was on the court, compared to being outscored by 1.6 points per 100 possessions when he sat, per NBA.com. 

"I think they lost faith in Russ as a ball handler after the first few weeks," a team source told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne about Westbrook, who had 30 turnovers after his first five games in a Lakers uniform. "And he knew it because they took him off the ball and started asking him to stand in the corner or set screens."

Given Westbrook's shooting issues and his history as a lead guard, playing him off the ball didn't work. It also appeared to erode his confidence, leading to some truly ugly shots throughout the season and some combative exchanges with reporters.

Off the court, there reportedly was a personality clash as well. 

Shelburne reported that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka "had a few meetings with Westbrook during the season, to keep the lines of communication open. Veterans like Carmelo Anthony, James and Davis tried to reach out. But nobody seemed to get through."

"Why is he going to listen if he feels like you've been letting him get crucified all year?" a source close to Westbrook countered. 

It was a mess. And a divorce seems like a logical conclusion to the matter. But his massive contract—he has a $47 million player option for next season he'll almost assuredly exercise—will make him difficult to trade, and even if the Lakers choose to release him using the waive and stretch provision, they'll be eating a cap hit of around $15 million over the next three seasons. 

That's the sort of money that could be better spent on a pair of solid role players to round out the roster, a leverage point teams in trade talks with the Lakers will surely keep in mind. But it's clear that change needs to come in Los Angeles, and it's hard to see that happening with Westbrook around for another year. 

LeBron James deserves blame for the Los Angeles Lakers' struggles during the 2021-22 season because of his work in putting together the team, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on Get Up:

"LeBron the player was an MVP-caliber player. LeBron the general manager was horrid," Smith said Monday (starts at 1:40 mark). "Because he was the one that OK'd and pushed for Russell Westbrook to arrive in Los Angeles knowing—because of his basketball IQ—the chances of them meshing together as teammates was not going to work."

The Lakers acquired Westbrook in an offseason trade with the Washington Wizards to complete a Big Three alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis. The experiment failed miserably, with the team finishing the season 33-49, short of even the play-in tournament.

James and agent Rich Paul were a major reason the Lakers first acquired Davis in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The move led to an NBA title in 2020, but the forward has played just 76 games over the last two years combined because of injuries.

The acquisition of Westbrook was an even bigger question mark, but James reportedly had a major hand in that too.

NBA reporter Marc Stein reported in January that the Lakers landed Westbrook instead of Buddy Hield at the "urging" of James and Davis. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times also reported the three superstars had dinner together to discuss the move prior to the trade. 

Free-agent addition Carmelo Anthony is also a longtime friend of James.

Though Rob Pelinka is the Lakers' general manager, LeBron had his handprints all over the failed roster.

James did his part on the court in 56 games, averaging 30.3 points and 8.2 rebounds during his 19th year in the league.