Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel reportedly received "assurances" from team management he wouldn't face backlash if he benched point guard Russell Westbrook.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Lakers brass told Vogel to coach Westbrook as he saw fit, with a general message of "you got to do what you got to do," which set the stage for the nine-time All-Star to spend the last four minutes of Wednesday's 111-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers on the sideline.

"Playing the guys that I thought were going to win the game," Vogel said after the game about his decision to keep Westbrook out of the lineup in crunch time.

The 33-year-old UCLA product continued to struggle with his shooting stroke against the Pacers, making just five of his 17 shots from the field, but it was a play at the defensive end that sparked the decision to bench him.

Indiana guard Caris LeVert breezed past Westbrook for a layup midway through the fourth quarter after the Lakers star failed to follow the scouting report of defending the right-hand drive, which represented the "final straw" for the coaching staff, per McMenamin.

Westbrook's acquisition from the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster August trade highlighted an offseason where L.A. completely revamped the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The Lakers (22-23) have hovered around .500 for most of the campaign, however, and the 2016-17 NBA MVP hasn't provided the expected boost to the lineup.

Westbrook has averaged 18.5 points, his lowest mark since 2009-10 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, along with 8.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists across 45 games. He's shooting just 43.3 percent from the field, including 30.4 percent on threes.

His dip in offensive production combined with absences by James and Davis throughout the season because of injury have left the Lakers with a lot of questions to answer if they're going to emerge as a legitimate championship contender.

In turn, Vogel has landed on the hot seat. Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Tuesday the Lakers coach was "at risk of being fired soon" if the team didn't show sustained progress.

Vogel downplayed the outside speculation, saying he's become good at blocking the outside noise throughout his coaching career:

I don't feel like I'm under siege. It's not hard to do my job. I'm very focused on the task at hand. I've always been that way. It's really not up to me whether it's fair or not. It comes with the territory. It comes with being the Lakers' coach. We have high expectations. This fanbase really cares. It's a big market. I wouldn't want it any other way, to be honest with you. I want people to care. I want people to want the best, and to command excellence of our group. That's what we command of ourselves.

Yet the benching of Westbrook shows the coaching staff is feeling at least some pressure to get the team trending in the right direction, even if it means frustrating one of the roster's core players.

The Lakers kick off a six-game road trip Friday night against the Orlando Magic, and Westbrook's role in that contest will surely be a key storyline.

Russell Westbrook's tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers reached a new nadir Wednesday night, with coach Frank Vogel benching the 2017 league MVP for the final three minutes, 52 seconds of a 111-104 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

“Playing the guys that I thought were going to win the game.” Frank Vogel on his decision to sub out Russell Westbrook for the final four minutes of the game. pic.twitter.com/M1PgbMNF0F

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 20, 2022

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported Vogel, who has faced rumors about his job status, was given the green light to "coach Westbrook as" he and his staff see fit. Westbrook's performance has been an increasing source of frustration, both among fans and seemingly with the coaching staff, who have struggled to figure out where he fits in the offense.

"You got to do what you got to do," a source told McMenamin of the message from management to the staff.

Westbrook is averaging 13.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the month of January, shooting a ghastly 32 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range. The Lakers have increasingly taken away Westbrook's ball-handling responsibilities, likely in an effort to curb his propensity for turnovers.

While the turnover issues have been lessened by taking Westbrook off the ball, it's also bludgeoned his impact to the point he's clearly a net negative when on the floor. The Lakers are outscoring teams by 2.3 points per 100 possessions with Westbrook on the bench and have been outscored by 2.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the court.

"It's frustrating. I can tell you that," Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony told reporters. "It's frustrating as a player who's trying to make it right, trying to do things right. This is new for him. This is a new situation. This is a new environment. We got to help him through it. I mean, that's the only thing we can do, is make sure his mental is right. That's the only thing I care about. I don't care about any basketball stuff when it comes to Russ.

"As long as his mental is right, then I'm good."

Westbrook left the arena without speaking to media, and it's becoming increasingly obvious this Lakers team—from Vogel to Westbrook to the front office—is facing a crossroads. The decision to add Westbrook was controversial during the offseason and has proved to be a bust, and the Lakers have no real recourse to make a move with Russ carrying a $44.2 million cap hold this season and a $47.1 million hold next year with his player option.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James said head coach Frank Vogel and his staff deserve "no blame" for the team's recent struggles, which include four losses in its last five games.

The four-time NBA MVP grew frustrated with the line of questioning about Vogel following Wednesday's 111-104 home loss to the Indiana Pacers.

"I'm not in that business, of pointing fingers or pointing blame," James told reporters. "It's not my lane. I'm not a negative person. So if you got something to ask me besides trying to s--t on somebody, I'll answer those. ... It seems like y'all are in s--t mode right now."

It appeared L.A. had started to find a groove with a modest four-game winning streak to improve its record to 21-19 before the recent cold spell. Now the Lakers are back under .500 (22-23) as they head out on a six-game road trip.

James explained he believes Vogel and Co. have done their job and that it's up to the players to execute.

"Coaching staff has been great," he said. "They put us in position to succeed, and it's up to us to handle the business, so there's always things that we all can do better, but there's no blame."

The questions come after Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Vogel was "at risk of being fired soon" if the Lakers didn't show progress.

Los Angeles entered the season with championship-level expectations after an offseason roster overhaul around James and Anthony Davis, highlighted by the addition of Russell Westbrook, but the group has yet to show any level of consistency.

Part of that is the injury-related absences of James, who missed 12 games earlier in the campaign, and Davis, who's currently sidelined by a knee injury. However, even in the instances where the Lakers were at full strength, they struggled to string wins together.

The Lakers coach said that despite the recent speculation he doesn't feel "under siege" and understands why there's been some outside noise as of late.

"In this business and with this team, if you're not winning at a super-high level, you're going to get this type of noise," Vogel told reporters before the Pacers loss. "I'm good at blocking it out. I feel good about the job we're doing, and obviously we believe the results are going to come. But over the course of an 82-game season with a new group, you're going to have some ugly nights."

Wednesday was one of those nights as the Lakers allowed the Pacers (16-29) to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field (44 of 90) as their home record dropped to 15-12.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfsIQqpy_Z8

While there's still plenty of time for Los Angeles to right the ship, the regular season is now past its halfway point with no indication the star-studded team belongs in the conversation of the NBA's top title contenders.

Perhaps everything will finally click when Davis returns from injury and the Lakers will take off, but until something like that happens, questions about Vogel's status are likely to linger.

The Indiana Pacers overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to earn a 111-104 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

Pacers guard Caris LeVert caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 22 of his 30 points. Indiana big man Domantas Sabonis added a 20-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. Their efforts helped Indiana outscore L.A. 35-24 in the final 12 minutes.

LeBron James' 30 points and 12 rebounds led the 22-23 Lakers, who have lost four of their last five games. Talen Horton-Tucker dropped 20 points and seven assists off the bench.

The Pacers continued to play without center Myles Turner (stress reaction in left foot). Lakers big man Anthony Davis sat for the 15th straight game with a sprained MCL.

Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon returned to the court after sitting because of Achilles soreness. He had missed all but 25 minutes of game action since Dec. 16 with the injury.

Brogdon's comeback certainly had a positive effect on the Pacers, as the former University of Virginia star posted 19 points and six assists. With the win, the 16-29 Pacers also broke a four-game losing streak.

    

Notable Performances

Pacers C Domantas Sabonis: 20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists

Pacers G Caris LeVert: 30 points, 8 rebounds

Pacers G Malcolm Brogdon: 19 points, 6 assists

Lakers F LeBron James: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists

Lakers G Talen Horton-Tucker: 20 points, 7 assists

Lakers G Russell Westbrook: 14 points

   

LeVert's Dominant 4th Quarter Leads to Win

It was all LeVert in the final frame, dominating the Lakers' weak defense en route to an encouraging win for a struggling, shorthanded team.

A LeVert three-point play helped the Pacers tie the game at 85, a result that was achieved in part because Carmelo Anthony got a technical for throwing the ball against the stanchion.

Great work by LeVert and Lamb to tie it up!
Stream: https://t.co/q9zoTrv89w#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/zi1RgDvgDf

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

      

The Lakers responded with a bucket, but LeVert fired right back with a three:

A big 3 from Caris gives the #Pacers the lead!
Stream: https://t.co/q9zoTrv89w#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/hMF31z23Ky

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

LeVert stayed hot, hitting this midrange jumper for a 97-90 edge:

Caris LeVert could not be hotter right now. 🔥🔥🔥
Stream: https://t.co/q9zoTrv89w#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/wofLaLfmJB

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

That bucket occurred during a stretch where the Pacers scored on seven straight possessions.

Before that span, Indiana was down 87-85. When it ended, the Pacers were up 101-94. Along the way, LeVert had 12 points and an assist.

If not for a meaningless James layup with three seconds remaining, LeVert's 22 fourth-quarter points would have matched the Lakers' total as a team.

After the game, Sabonis gave his teammate a ton of credit.

Sabonis on LeVert's 22-point fourth quarter: "He made all the right reads. They were giving him his mid-range, he was scoring and then he was going downhill. He was efficient. That's a big-time player. He's our scorer and we need him."#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/SpqYKEST4u

— FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (@FanDuelSN_IND) January 20, 2022

We'll soon find out if the Pacers can use this win, which was also helped by Brogdon's return, to lead to a late-season push to qualify for the playoffs.

For now, LeVert showcasing his dominant ceiling is encouraging as the second half of the year gets underway.

    

Lakers Reach a New Low

The Lakers' worst loss of the year arguably occurred last Saturday, when L.A. fell 133-96 to the Denver Nuggets.

But the Nuggets are a winning team that sports the NBA's hottest (and best) player in reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Pacers' loss might be more troublesome, especially when considering that Indiana would have had twice as many defeats as wins if it fell to Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Instead, the Pacers rolled over the host Lakers in the fourth quarter as L.A. was left searching for more answers after another puzzling loss.

The same problems that have been prevalent all year occurred yet again.

Nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook continued to struggle, shooting just 5-of-17 from the field after making just 30.3 percent of his field goals in the six games leading into Wednesday.

It was a discouraging result considering Westbrook made his first three shots from beyond the three-point line only to struggle down the stretch.

He also finished with a minus-18 mark, and head coach Frank Vogel opted to bench the star in the final minutes of the game.

Overall, the starting lineup largely failed to produce around James, posting just 24 points on 8-of-28 shooting in 79 total minutes of court time.

The bench nearly saved the Lakers, with Horton-Tucker dropping his 20 points (9-of-14 shooting) with seven assists and Carmelo Anthony adding 14 points and seven boards.

The Lakers' loss also overshadowed another milestone for James, who became the 42nd player in league history to record his 10,000th career rebound. He also became the first player ever to score 30,000 points, grab 10,000 rebounds, and dish out 9,000 assists.

But the real problem was that the Lakers' defense, which has been problematic all season, reared its ugly head in the fourth quarter.

The unit had zero answers for LeVert and Sabonis, who ultimately ended up scoring the Pacers' final 16 points as the Lakers were unable to cut Indiana's lead below five points down the stretch.

L.A. entered Wednesday 17th in defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference, after finishing first the year before despite missing James and Davis for huge chunks of the year due to injury.

A roster overhaul over the offseason has led to a far worse defensive team, and now the Lakers are in a position where they may struggle just to get out of the play-in tournament.

     

What's Next?

Indiana will visit the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco's Chase Center on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET. The Lakers will hit the road to face the Orlando Magic on Friday at 7 p.m. in Amway Center.

Despite growing buzz that Frank Vogel is on the hot seat, and his job security may be determined on a game-by-game basis, the Los Angeles Lakers head coach told reporters on Wednesday he wasn't feeling the pressure.

"I don't feel like I’m under siege," he said. "It's not hard to do my job... It's not up to me if it's fair or not."

Frank Vogel says his relationship with the Lakers front office is “healthy” and that everyone in the organization is working together to improve the team. He says he’s “blocking out” the noise about his job security and is continuing to lock in on winning night to night.

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 20, 2022

Frank Vogel says there’s been nothing abnormal about his level of interaction with the Lakers’ front office as of late. Business as usual. As far as speculation about his job, he says, “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Shows there is a standard and expectation as LAL coach.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 20, 2022

Frank Vogel, asked by @mcten about feedback on his job performance: “I meet with the front office and talk about the previous night’s performance every game this year. Been doing that for three years.”

— Bill Oram (@billoram) January 20, 2022

Earlier on Wednesday, Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Vogel's job was in "serious jeopardy" and is being "evaluated on a game-to-game basis and is at risk of being fired if progress doesn't continue after Monday's win over the Utah Jazz."

But Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that "people with knowledge of the situation insist 'there are no current plans' to replace Vogel—a sign that the coach has navigated through the latest drama surrounding his position."

Per that report, a loss against the Jazz on Monday could have been "the final straw" for Vogel, however. 

The Lakers are just 22-22 on the season, a disappointing mark for a team with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Whether Vogel deserves to be groomed as the fall guy for those struggles is debatable, however. 

For one, Davis has missed a big chunk of the season because of injuries. And L.A.'s roster construction has been questionable at best, with Westbrook in particular an unnatural fit next to James, given that both players are at their best running an offense. 

“Frank Vogel being the scapegoat is ridiculous. … I want to see LeBron James and Anthony Davis actually come out and stand up for [him], because it’s not Frank Vogel’s fault why the Lakers are in the position that they’re in right now.”

—@KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/bn723RXGK9

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 19, 2022

The Lakers should be better than they've been, even with the questionable personnel fits. Vogel bears some of the blame. Whether he deserves enough blame to be fired is another question entirely, however. 

For now, the job is his. But the embers underneath his seat don't appear to have cooled completely. 

The Los Angeles Lakers may be considering a coaching change. Or not depending upon whom you believe. But is that really the team's most pressing issue, or just the one that seems easiest to address?

Head coach Frank Vogel's job security shouldn't be a surprise. B/R has said multiple times already that Vogel could become a scapegoat if the Lakers struggled. On Tuesday, Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Vogel's job may be "in serious jeopardy."

You can make the case either way. Regardless, the writing was on the wall when the franchise gave Vogel a one-year extension through the 2022-23 season despite the title in 2020. A longer-term deal would typically follow that level of success if the team were truly committed.

But dismissing Vogel in good faith assumes the Lakers have a healthy, viable roster that any replacement-level coach could lead to success. Is that the case here?

As one NBA source said, if Vogel isn't to blame, "it's a lot harder to fire the players." So who is at fault?

Ownership. The front office. LeBron James. And virtually everyone else, Vogel included.

But the past is the past. Here's another saying: When you're in a hole, stop digging.

The heart of the matter is that L.A.'s season may not be salvageable given the roster and meager trade market options.

Would a coaching change help the Lakers improve enough to compete with teams like the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets?

That's quite the leap.

              

Initial Reaction

It wasn't necessary to ask around the league for takes on Vogel's potential firing. Multiple NBA sources reached out to B/R, asking why the Lakers would fire Vogel.

"I do not understand how this is Vogel's fault," one former Western Conference executive said. "It's garbage. They're probably a high lottery team without him."

An Eastern Conference executive added, "That's not going to solve anything."

https://twitter.com/realStanVG/status/1483487865162055685

The primary questions from rivals center around the decision to trade away the team's depth for Russell Westbrook. Finding anyone outside of the L.A. front office who liked that decision at the time was difficult.

Most competing executives just didn't get what the Lakers were hoping to accomplish, citing the $91.3 million Westbrook is owed through next season (assuming he opts in at $47.1 million), the loss of depth from the trade, the No. 22 draft pick given up (the Indiana Pacers selected Isaiah Jackson) and the choice not to pay Alex Caruso enough to stay.

The lack of depth has hurt the Lakers' ability to weather several injuries and games lost to the health and safety protocols. Anthony Davis and Kendrick Nunn are still out with knee injuries. Both LeBron James and Talen Horton-Tucker missed time early.

Vogel, who has the reputation as one of the top defensive coaches in the league, didn't put together the roster. He's not widely considered a ground-breaking offensive mind, but the team won the title playing stellar defense with a mediocre offense.

Through 44 games, the Lakers have the 24th-best offensive rating at 108.3 points per 100 possessions. The defensive rating (109.8) is higher at 18th, but that's a far cry from owning the top defensive rating just last season. With the resulting net rating of -1.5 (23rd overall), it's a wonder the team is still at .500.

                          

The Case Against Vogel

To be clear, Vogel hasn't adapted well to the new roster. He stuck with the traditional size of DeAndre Jordan for too long before discovering how effective the Lakers could be by going small, especially with James at center.

Defensively, Vogel adhered to more of a traditional drop coverage instead of more aggressive switching attacks. Offensively, he has struggled to find a way to enable non-shooters like Horton-Tucker and Westbrook. The team's execution (on both ends) has been sloppy and inconsistent.

"That a 10-day guy [Stanley Johnson] and an undrafted rookie [Austin Reaves] are the reason [the Lakers] are winning at all is an indictment," a Western Conference executive said. "The Lakers don't need more Stanley or Austin. The rest of the roster needs to play as hard as Stanley and Austin."

How much of that is specifically Vogel's fault is subjective. Is he the problem? Probably not.

Is he the solution? Maybe not. The Lakers may need a more imaginative offensive coach to get the most out of this roster.

               

Blame the Front Office?

If the Westbrook move were fundamentally flawed, who is to blame?

Rob Pelinka is the team's vice president of basketball operations and general manager. The decision ultimately falls on his resume.

But sources also say that James was a significant proponent for getting Westbrook. Does he bear any responsibility if he and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, applied significant pressure on the team to get it done?

He should.

Pelinka works the phones with teams and agents. He reports to the team's top-level decision-makers, led by governor Jeanie Buss and executives Linda Rambis, Kurt Rambis and Tim Harris. Pelinka presents the menu of choices, but like most of his contemporaries, he's beholden to the owner's whim.

So where does that leave us in the blame game? Everyone.

Fans might point the finger at Vogel for sticking with Jordan as a starter for too long, but why has Kurt Rambis "advocated for the Lakers to use more traditional strategies," as the Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike and Broderick Turner reported?

Westbrook's arrival could still prove to be the right call once the Lakers are healthy. That doesn't seem likely, but NBA championships aren't won in January. Could a coaching change help unlock the team's potential?

If so, assistant David Fizdale might be the call to finish the year as the interim head coach. Or the Lakers could quickly hire an available offensive-minded head coach (Mike D'Antoni, anyone?), but any real candidate would expect a multiyear commitment.

Poaching another team's assistant head coach could cost the Lakers draft compensation and may be challenging to orchestrate midseason.

And if the team's roster isn't competitive enough for any coach, the opportunity to coach a losing Lakers squad may not be ideal for top candidates.

                    

Other Moves?

If the answer for Pelinka is "do something" because doing nothing isn't acceptable, then he may have no other choice than to fire Vogel.

The team could try to trade Westbrook, but sources say the market is nonexistent. If he were in the final year of his deal, the Lakers might have a shot. But at this point, no other team wants to commit to paying Westbrook $47 million next season.

The Lakers have explored several trades ahead of the February 10 trade deadline. Sources indicate they have looked at players like Ben Simmons, Jerami Grant, Myles Turner and Harrison Barnes, among others.

Los Angeles doesn't have notable bait, primarily Horton-Tucker (who hasn't had a great season), Reaves (a piece the Lakers would rather keep), the contract of Kendrick Nunn (who hasn't played this season because of a knee injury), a 2027 or a 2028 first-round pick, a few second-rounders and a few minimum contracts like those of Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, Howard and Jordan.

Malik Monk has also stood out, but the Lakers may have to use their taxpayer mid-level exception to re-sign him this offseason. But there's no obvious advantage for a team to trade for Monk. He might help a squad through the rest of the season and the playoffs, but any trade partner would similarly need to use a larger exception (or cap room) to retain him.

Instead of their top targets, the Lakers may be looking at a more tepid return like Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets or Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic.

"Do either of those players move the need for the Lakers? I don't think so," the Eastern Conference executive said. "I wouldn't trade THT for either."

If the Lakers can't fix the problem this season, then trading away some or all of their modest assets will only exacerbate the problem long term. The answer may be smaller moves that could enable the team to do better in the 2022-23 campaign.

With that in mind, the Lakers may pull back from any serious trade pursuits and hope for a friendly buyout market.

                    

Advanced stats according to NBA Stats and current through Jan. 18.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly open to trading one of their young players.

Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported that the Lakers are shopping 21-year-old swingman Talen Horton-Tucker in trade discussions. They noted that Los Angeles doesn't have many other assets to try to upgrade its roster.

"Rival general managers believe the Lakers value Horton-Tucker, but they lack the mid-range contracts needed to put together a deal to upgrade their roster and understand no significant trade is getting made without him," Woike and Turner stated.

In 28 games with 15 starts, Horton-Tucker is averaging a career-high 10.6 points. His shooting numbers have dropped, however, as he is posting career worsts of 40.9 percent from the field and 24.4 percent from three-point range.

Horton-Tucker missed time earlier this season after undergoing thumb surgery. Since his return, he's been a regular part of the Lakers rotation with an average of 27.4 minutes per game.

Los Angeles is 22-22 and is coming off a comeback victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday, arguably the team's most impressive win of the season. The Lakers have struggled to find consistency this year because of a poorly constructed roster.

Star forward LeBron James has been outstanding with 28.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists, but he hasn't gotten enough help. Point guard Russell Westbrook, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Washington Wizards, is averaging 18.6 points while shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers have also been dealing with the absence of star big man Anthony Davis, who hasn't played since Dec. 17 because of a sprained MCL.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Today Tuesday that the Los Angeles Lakers are in a "tough spot" in regard to making any moves prior to the Feb. 10 trade deadline and that any improvement is likely "going to have to come from within."

Studio host Malika Andrews asked Wojnarowski if there was anything brewing on the trade front for the Lakers, and he provided this response (3:00 mark):

"Listen, the Lakers tried," Wojnarowski said. "They tried to get involved with [former Atlanta Hawks wing Cam Reddish], you know the Knicks had a better asset for them. I think the Lakers are in a tough spot to do anything other than just kind of move the furniture around.

"... I think for the most part the Lakers' improvement is going to have to come from within. They just don't have tradeable assets, especially with so few sellers in the market. There are going to be other teams who can offer those select few sellers better offers than the Lakers will be able to."

The Lakers have gone 22-22 through 44 games. They recently allowed 128.3 points per game during a three-game losing streak capped by a 133-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets. However, L.A. bounced back with a 101-95 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.

The Wojnarowski report comes after a report from Bill Oram and Sam Amick of The Athletic on Tuesday that head coach Frank Vogel's job is in "serious jeopardy":

Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020 and whose contract runs through the 2022-23 campaign, is being evaluated on a game-to-game basis and remains at risk of being fired soon if the progress doesn’t continue, sources said. It’s unclear how much Monday’s win relieved the pressure that surrounds him.

However, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported later Tuesday that there are "no current plans" to replace Vogel.

As far as the trade market goes, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Lakers are indeed interested in Indiana Pacers forward Myles Turner, who was averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks before being sidelined with a stress reaction in his left foot.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report noted that the Lakers are among several teams who have "signaled interest" in Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, who has averaged 20.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

He's been out with a UCL ligament sprain of the right thumb since mid-December. The Pistons announced on Dec. 12 that he would be reevaluated in six weeks.

Ultimately, the Lakers appear to be in limbo right now, especially as Anthony Davis continues to be sidelined with an MCL sprain that has kept him off the court for a month.

The good news is that AD, who was averaging 23.3 points and 9.9 rebounds prior to the injury, has been cleared by team doctors to start on-court, full-contact workouts.

He may end up being the Lakers' biggest addition (or readdition) down the stretch as L.A. attempts to escape from its current spot in the middle of the Western Conference.

The Los Angeles Lakers have "no current plans" to replace head coach Frank Vogel, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

Earlier Tuesday, the Athletic's Bill Oram and Sam Amick reported Vogel's job "is in serious jeopardy" and that the Lakers are evaluating Vogel "on a game-to-game basis," leaving him "at risk of being fired if progress doesn’t continue."

When a team is falling as short of their expectations as the Lakers are, the head coach is almost always the subject of rumors. Los Angeles is seventh in the Western Conference at 22-22.

However, the fault for the franchise's current predicament doesn't lay solely with Vogel.

Anthony Davis hasn't played since a 110-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves because of an MCL sprain in his left knee. A roster built around Davis and LeBron James will inevitably struggle when one of those two is unavailable.

The trade for Russell Westbrook hasn't worked out, either, which might be the biggest reason for the Lakers' present state.

Westbrook is averaging 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists through 44 games. A 27.7 percent usage rate—his lowest since 2009-10, per Basketball Reference—hasn't coincided with an uptick in efficiency. He's shooting 43.6 percent overall and 28.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Amick and Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer have both reported the Lakers quietly explored trade scenarios involving Westbrook, which is a sign of how poorly the partnership has fared so far.

Between sacrificing precious depth to acquire Westbrook and failing to re-sign Alex Caruso, general manager Rob Pelinka didn't deal his head coach a very good hand.

There’s more than enough blame to go around here.

Rob Pelinka gave Frank Vogel a bunch of bad defensive players, so Frank Vogel is giving him a bad defense.

He’s also making completely inexplicable lineup decisions. https://t.co/SLdwXqScWT

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) November 20, 2021

But the Lakers are boxed in. They've exhausted their best trade assets, have little financial flexibility to sign new players, and mortgaged a lot of their draft capital to get Davis.

Making a coaching change is the most straightforward gambit for Pelinka in order to alter the direction of the Lakers' season. A new voice in the locker room could be enough to get something more out of the squad, though Los Angeles' ceiling has been painfully clear over the last few months. At this point, however, it appears it will be up to Vogel to get the team headed in the right direction.