LeBron James

Magic Johnson believes the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook can still work.

The Lakers just need to find the right coach.

Johnson spoke to David Aldridge of The Athletic about last season's Lakers falling short of expectations and what he hopes to see in the team's ongoing coaching search.

"Everybody was saying the Lakers, with Russell (Westbrook), man, we’re talking about NBA Finals. We’re going to be one of the favorites. So, it’s definitely got to be driving them crazy — it should be driving all three of them crazy. Because we didn’t meet those expectations. We failed. Now it’s, what are we going to do to make sure it doesn’t happen next season? To your point, which is the biggest point, who’s going to lead that effort, coaching-wise? And then, so once a coach is in place, what are we going to do now about the roster? It’s really important that they get the right person, and then make, hopefully, the right roster moves. We know it can’t be a lot, but it can be something. I guess they’ve got to make those decisions."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Darvin Ham, Kenny Atkinson and Terry Stotts are the current finalists for the Lakers job. They will be replacing Frank Vogel, who went 127-98 in three seasons as the franchise's head coach, winning the 2020 NBA championship but presiding over a two-year regression since.

Westbrook's arrival and the injuries to James and Davis were the largest issues plaguing the Lakers in 2021-22. The trio never seemed to mesh during the rare times they shared the court, with Westbrook and James proving to be an oil-water mix due to their propensity to handle the ball.

Westbrook said he and Vogel never connected. Vogel benched the 2017 NBA MVP on several occasions during rough stretches, which led to obvious tension as the Lakers season faltered. 

“I’m not sure what his issue was with me, or I’m not sure why. I can’t really give you an answer why we never really connected,” Westbrook told reporters. "That’s something that he has to answer… from the get-go, was feeling like I had to try and prove myself to him, and my capabilities and what I’ve been able to do for this game. It’s unfortunate, but it’s out of my hands.”

Johnson believes the Westbrook era can still be a success, so long as the Lakers find the right coach who can work with him. He said he advised the Lakers to consider retaining Westbrook, especially given the lack of talent they would likely get in return in a trade. 

"Well, it only can work, if you’ve got the coach—the right coach," Johnson said. "To me, it still comes down to, who’s the coach? And, then, also, he’s on a one-year, $47 million (contract). Even if you offer him (in a trade), what are you, realistically, going to get back? I told them this too—you’re going to get some contracts you probably don’t want, and they’re going to go (chronologically) past his contract. You’ve really got to think about that. Are those players you’re going to get back, are they going to really help you? I said, talk to him.

"Whatever happened (this season), how can you make it better with Russell? How can you make it more comfortable? So they’ve got to figure all these things out. Take him out, take him to dinner or sit him down. How can this thing be better? ‘Cause if he’s going to be there, it’s got to be better. I guess whoever they name, that’s the first thing they’re going to have to do. And you can’t sit down once. You’re going to have to sit down for a week or two to try to figure that thing out."

Johnson previously held the role of team president from 2017 to 2019 before resigning in famously public fashion. He's maintained a close relationship with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who tends to keep the same close circle when making major basketball decisions. 

The Los Angeles Lakers' search for their next head coach continues, and the organization is wisely taking its time with the endeavor. This is perhaps the one big change that Los Angeles can make this offseason with no first-round draft pick and limited trade and free-agent options.

And change is necessary following a 33-49 season punctuated by the firing of former coach Frank Vogel.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, L.A. has found its finalists in Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts and Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham:

Sources: Finalists for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job: Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts. Next stage of interviews are expected to take place in-person in Los Angeles.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 20, 2022

Of this group, Ham is the most logical choice, and there are multiple reasons why.

A few days ago, we examined the value a rookie head coach could bring to the Lakers. It starts with the current roster, which is likely to include the core group of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Lakers are have planned to move forward with Westbrook during their coaching search:

"Despite the widely held belief that the Lakers would find a way to trade Westbrook before the start of next season, sources say their coaching candidates have been asked to discuss how they would use him in their system during interviews. The takeaway for candidates, it seems, is that maximizing Westbrook's presence after his disastrous 2021-22 season is considered an important part of this job."

James, Davis and Westbrook are prolific players with big personalities who didn't mesh in Vogel's system. A new coach is more likely to bring a clean slate and an open mind ideally building something new around the players instead of forcing them to adapt.

Ham is the only one of the finalists who has never been an NBA head coach before. He's also an eight-year NBA playing veteran, which checks another reported box on L.A.'s wish list.

"Several of the first-year candidates they've been linked to are former players that are known to command respect," Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote.

A 6'7" forward, Ham went unclaimed in the 1996 draft but managed to win a ring with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

The Texas Tech product's coaching style as an assistant also fits what the Lakers are reportedly looking for, as Amick and Charania detailed for The Athletic:

"Sources say team officials have prioritized a coach who can command respect and authority from the locker room and who has a strong enough presence and voice to manage the varying roles and relationships across the roster. ... Ham has been known for his no-nonsense style and ability to resonate with his players—attributes that have stood out in his communication with the Lakers thus far as well, sources said."

According to Amick and Charania, Ham has made "the strongest impression yet" during the interview process.

In Ham, the Lakers have a candidate who doesn't possess an established and rigid system that might not suit Westbrook and Co. He would likely be willing to work with them but not allow them to run the show. For these reasons, hiring Ham makes perfect sense. However, there's one more factor that could tip the balance in his favor.

"He's the guy LeBron wants," a competing source said, per Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus.

While the Lakers shouldn't hire their next coach based solely on James' opinion, his voice should be valued in the process. The 37-year-old might not be the dominant force that he once was, but James is still the veteran leader of this roster and an incredibly effective player when healthy.

This past season, James averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He's not going anywhere in 2022, even if the 18-time All-Star decides not to sign an extension. Amick reported this month that president Jeanie Buss is content to keep James regardless of his contract status.

So, James will be the on-court leader of the Lakers again next season. If he and the next coach are in lockstep regarding the game-planning and overall direction of the franchise, it bodes well for everyone involved. In just about every conceivable aspect, Ham seems like the best candidate to make that happen—and to get the most out of L.A.'s current roster.

This isn't to say that the other finalists can't be successful in Los Angeles. Ham also lacks head coaching experience. Of course, Ime Udoka lacked that experience too before joining the Boston Celtics this year, and he has Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

If the Lakers are willing to follow suit and take a chance, Ham is the perfect candidate to lead this team into the 2022-23 season.

The Los Angeles Lakers' plan to build a winner in the 2021-22 season didn't work out. In theory, having a Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook was going to allow L.A. to rotate its stars and keep them fresh throughout the grueling NBA season. However, injuries and a lack of team chemistry flushed that game plan down the drain.

James and Davis both missed significant stretches, while Westbrook never bought into the system Frank Vogel was selling. Los Angeles was forced to regularly change lineups, and James, Davis and Westbrook ended up playing just 21 games together.

It all resulted in a miserable 33-win season that cost Vogel his job.

"Obviously, our roster did not work," general manager Rob Pelinka said, per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

The Lakers now look to regroup and reload, and the process begins with finding a new head coach. The next step will be tweaking a roster that did not work, and that may be L.A.'s biggest challenge of the offseason.

The Lakers were awarded the No. 8 pick in Tuesday's draft lottery, but that selection is going to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Davis trade. Their ability to be players in free agency is extremely limited by a bloated payroll that isn't likely to see significant cap relief this offseason.

Los Angeles would be helped tremendously by Westbrook turning down his $47 million player option for the 2022-23 season. However, he's unlikely to get anything close to that on the open market and therefore has little reason not to opt in.

Trading Westbrook and his massive salary would be tricky, too, and that's if the Lakers would even consider trying.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, they're instead interested in finding a coach who will build around him:

"Despite the widely held belief that the Lakers would find a way to trade Westbrook before the start of next season, sources say their coaching candidates have been asked to discuss how they would use him in their system during interviews. The takeaway for candidates, it seems, is that maximizing Westbrook's presence after his disastrous 2021-22 season is considered an important part of this job."

What's left for the Lakers if they can't find help in the draft, spend big or move Westbrook? Aside from lucking into another undrafted gem like Austin Reaves, the Lakers will need to move their top role players.

While much of L.A.'s supporting cast is underwhelming, the Lakers do have a pair of potential trade chips in Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn.

According to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, the two are still valued around the league:

"Surprisingly, that value was not left entirely reduced to ashes by the tire fire that was the Lakers’ 2021-22 season. In fact, a handful of coaches and executives from around the league told Heavy.com that they still very much believe in Horton-Tucker as a prospect, and in Nunn—balky knee and all—as a solid contributor."

Because of injuries—he played only 56 games last season and didn't see the court this year because of a knee injury—Nunn's value may be minimal. He can also play a key role for Los Angeles as a perimeter shooter, something the Lakers desperately need around James and Davis.

Nunn shot 38.1 percent from beyond the arc in the 2020-21 season. If the Lakers decide to punt on his potential return, though, moving him would make sense.

Horton-Tucker, meanwhile, has shown flashes of promise throughout his three seasons but hasn't been developed in Los Angeles. Other teams would be eager to give him an opportunity.

"He is 21 years old. He is playing for the Lakers and development is not the biggest thing there," one Western Conference executive said, per Deveney. "I think most of us would take him on our team in a minute. He is big (6'4") and long, he can handle the ball, he can initiate the offense, he will be a good defender even if he is not there yet. He has value."

For many franchises, moving on from Horton-Tucker before he's a finished product wouldn't make sense. However, the Lakers appear far more interested in trying to win now than developing their younger cast. For them, moving Horton-Tucker would be logical for the right return.

That's the kicker, though. While Horton-Tucker and Nunn may have value, Los Angeles cannot expect a massive return in a trade. We're still talking about role players, one coming off of injury and one whose upside is his biggest asset.

Per Deveney, one executive "threw out" hypotheticals like Miami Heat shooter Duncan Robinson, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley and Houston Rockets center Christian Wood.

Without trading future draft capital as part of a deal—and Los Angeles can't move a first-rounder earlier than their 2027 selection—any trade will likely be a swap of supporting players. That might be enough to improve the cast around James, Davis and Westbrook, but it will all depend on who the Lakers can land.

A shooter like Robinson would be a tremendous asset, but Nunn can fill the role if the Lakers believe he'll be healthy next season. We're unlikely to see a deal involving Horton-Tucker and/or Nunn that suddenly makes L.A. look like a title contender. However, it would be more favorable than anything involving Westbrook.

After Westbrook's disappointing 2021-22 campaign, Los Angeles might have to move that 2027 first-rounder just to unload his salary. That's even less ideal.

If Los Angeles is going to make any significant changes this offseason, it will have to involve the head coach and the players' approach. Finding a way to maximize Westbrook's talents would be a great start there.

However, the Lakers do have trade options in Horton-Tucker and Nunn if they choose to utilize them. We're unlikely to see a major roster overhaul, but L.A. can shake up its supporting cast in the coming months.

Kevin Durant wanted to know which centers from the 1990s would still be foundational superstars in today's game, tossing out the question via Twitter on Tuesday.

LeBron James had his answer ready.

Shaq, Dream, Admiral.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 18, 2022

It's nearly impossible to quibble with LeBron's answers.

Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon are locks for every living human's top 20 players in NBA history; David Robinson is a lock for the top 30. They were unstoppable two-way forces who played with a headiness that would allow them to easily adapt to the modern space-and-pace style.

Even if they didn't necessarily "adapt," their sheer force of will would make them dominant interior scorers.

If anything, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning may have their arms up in dismay wondering where their names were on James' list. But as far as the undeniable ones, LeBron made the right choices. 

The Los Angeles Lakers' experiment of partnering Russell Westbrook with LeBron James and Anthony Davis this past season was, by most accounts, a failure. It provided plenty of discussion points for the media, but the results on the court were disastrous.

Los Angeles finished with a paltry 33 wins, missed the postseason entirely and fired coach Frank Vogel following the season.

While the Lakers watch the conference finals from home, they're busy working on changes for the 2022-23 season. A significant overhaul, however, is extremely unlikely.

There are multiple reasons for this, starting with the fact that L.A. won't have a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA draft. The team was awarded the No. 8 pick in Tuesday's draft lottery, but that selection is going to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Davis trade—a fact New Orleans was quick to celebrate on social media.

Pelicans take Lakers’ first-round pick, will select No. 8 overall: https://t.co/r8QrQ3ovLI#NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/5fMUOrMxe9

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 18, 2022

L.A.'s top-heavy roster is also a problem in terms of salary. According to Spotrac, the Lakers roster will cost $175.4 million next season, which means big free-agent signings are off the table. They're unlikely to glean cap relief from Westbrook, who will presumably exercise his $47 million player option.

Unless the Lakers are willing to part with future draft assets, Westbrook is the organization's biggest trade chip. Some might say that moving him would be good for the team, too, as Westbrook never found chemistry with the rest of the roster and had a disconnect with Vogel over his role in the offense.

"I think it's unfortunate, to be honest, because I've never had an issue with any of my coaches before," Westbrook said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I'm not sure what his issue was with me or I'm not sure why, but I can't really give you an answer to why we really never connected."

However, finding a team to take on Westbrook and give up anything of value would be tricky. And the latest rumors seem to indicate that this isn't the route Los Angeles wants to take.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, L.A. has made Westbrook a focal point of its coaching search:

"Despite the widely held belief that the Lakers would find a way to trade Westbrook before the start of next season, sources say their coaching candidates have been asked to discuss how they would use him in their system during interviews. The takeaway for candidates, it seems, is that maximizing Westbrook's presence after his disastrous 2021-22 season is considered an important part of this job."

There has been some buzz about coaching adviser Phil Jackson preferring to trade James, though it's hard to pin down a source.

"I've heard that Phil would like LeBron traded," Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times told The Doug Gottlieb Show (h/t Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll). "I've just heard that, but I've got nothing to back that up. No on-the-record stuff to back that up. I do know that Phil would like to keep Westbrook and try to make that work with him."

Even if Jackson would like to see James elsewhere, the 37-year-old appears destined to stay in L.A. for at least another season.

"If LeBron James ultimately decides against signing an extension with the Lakers in August, sources say [team president Jeanie] Buss wouldn't see his desire to play out the final season of his contract as a reason to consider trading him," Amick wrote earlier this month.

If the Lakers are going to see significant changes next season, they're going to have to come from a strategic standpoint and from the players themselves. James, Westbrook and Co. have to find ways to operate more effectively, and the next head coach may have to utilize a novel approach.

Trying to fit the roster into Vogel's system obviously didn't pan out. Likely as a result, the Lakers aren't locked into hiring another veteran coach, as Jovan Buha of The Athletic recently wrote:

"Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear that the team was going to take their time with the search and that one of the most important coaching qualities would be gravitas. That suggests a coach with experience, but several of the first-year candidates they've been linked to are former players that are known to command respect."

Buha noted that there isn't a clear front-runner for the job, though he mentioned Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts as the two early favorites.

Eric Nehm of The Athletic mentioned Bucks assistant Charles Lee as another target for the Lakers.

Whether Los Angeles goes with an experienced head coach or a first-timer, it needs to find someone who will command the respect of and work with the team's big personalities. If the sort of player-coach disconnect we saw this past season exists, the Lakers will have little hope of improving.

It's going to require a total team effort from the players, the front office and the next coach for Los Angeles to be successful in the 2022-23 season. Finding the right fit for Westbrook should be one of the first steps.

"When the decision was made to fire Vogel, there was a belief from on high that Westbrook wasn't put in a position to succeed," Amick wrote.

Enough cohesion could bring the sort of on-court change that the Lakers need—and it's the only real change fans are likely to see.

Outside of a few tweaks to the supporting cast, it's looking like next year's roster will be much the same as the one we watched this past season.

After calling out  Chris Paul during an appearance on ESPN's Get Up, Minnesota Timberwolves veteran Patrick Beverley revealed to Stephen A. Smith on Stephen A's World that his beef with the Phoenix Suns point guard began when he was in college and went to a LeBron James camp.

"I appreciate everything he's done for the game," Beverley said. "Me and CP, this started when I was in college. I went to LeBron James' camp. ... and I got a taste of little CP there. ... It's always been something from there."

I asked @patbev21 to explain his history with @CP3. pic.twitter.com/rJmWLP6GzA

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 17, 2022

Beverley continued: "I respect his game. ... But the praise that he gets and the slander that he doesn't get when he doesn't perform, it's not the same as it is with every other superstar. and my question is why not?"

During his initial appearance on Get Up, Beverley went on a rant about how Paul doesn't play good defense and that "he literally can’t guard" anybody.

"Ain't nobody worried about Chris Paul when you play the Phoenix Suns, nobody in the NBA," Beverley said. "I'm just letting you know how NBA players feel. He's finessed the game to the point where he gets all of the petty calls, all the swipe-throughs at the end."

Those comments came after Paul and the Suns were eliminated from the NBA playoffs with a 123-90 Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals. It was a game in which the Suns had just 27 points at halftime and were getting blown out. 

Paul began Phoenix's series against Dallas on a high note, putting up 59 points through the first three games. However, he fell apart through the final four games, putting up just 35 points, including a 10-point outing in Game 7, which is inexcusable.

In addition, the Suns were outscored by 39 points in Game 7 with Paul on the court, which is why Beverley was so emphatic in his comments when he mentioned that Paul doesn't play good defense. 

However, it might not be fair to say that Paul is a defensive liability just yet. He was a solid defender throughout the regular season and contributed to the Suns finishing with the third-best defensive rating in the NBA.

With their season now over, Paul and the Suns can focus on improving for the 2022-23 season. If that includes working on defense, then so be it. 

Patrick Beverley believes the Los Angeles Lakers would make the Western Conference Finals with a defined leader. More specifically, he believes he is the leader the franchise needs.

Speaking with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's Stephen A's World, Beverley said that if he was a free agent and joined the Lakers, the team would make the playoffs and reach the conference finals.

"No discredit to LeBron James, but he's doing so much," Beverley said. "... Who's their leader? Who's telling LeBron, 'Hey LeBron, you gotta be low man, bro. That ain't your help out. You gotta X-out.' No one's telling him that. Not on a consistent basis. I'm gonna tell everyone that because I want to win."

Beverley's comments come after he said during an appearance on ESPN's This Just In with Max Kellerman that he would love to join the Lakers if he was a free agent to "play with a great" like James and "be able to pick his brain." He also said he would enjoy playing alongside Russell Westbrook.

Beverley is under contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves through the 2022-23 season, so there's always a possibility he joins the Lakers for the 2023-24 campaign. However, both James and Westbrook will be unrestricted free agents in 2023. If they leave, it's unclear if Beverley would still be interested in joining the Purple and Gold.

That said, Beverley could be a welcomed addition to just about any team hoping to contend for an NBA title. While he's not necessarily an offensive impact player, he's a three-time All-Defensive selection and his passion, intensity and effort, are unmatched by most players in the league.

Beverley has helped transform the energy in Minnesota and with that helped the franchise finish with its best record (46-36) since the 2017-18 campaign. Even Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was quick to laud the 10-year veteran while speaking with reporters in February. 

"He's a guy that we value greatly, a guy that we want to go forward with," Finch said. "His leadership has been phenomenal. We knew it was going to be good, it's been even better than expected. His production and play on court has been really, really good. Changes personality on our team in a lot of ways."

Though he's known for his lockdown defense, he also averaged 9.2 points on 40.6 percent shooting from the floor during the 2021-22 season, in addition to 4.6 assists in 58 games. 

While most would dispute Beverley's assertion that the Lakers lacked a leader during the 2021-22 season, the team seemed to suffer from a lack of chemistry thanks to injuries to James and Anthony Davis, and inconsistency from Westbrook.

Beverley could help bring a more competitive mindset to this Lakers squad, but the franchise undoubtedly has a lot more work to do this summer as it looks for a new coach and aims to become a championship contender again next season. 

In 1960, the Lakers left Minneapolis for Los Angeles. Sixty-two years later, Patrick Beverley is trying to coax the team's biggest star to leave Los Angeles for Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves guard made an appearance on ESPN's Get Up on Tuesday and made a pitch to recruit LeBron James.

"Should he stay in L.A. if he wants to win a title? I don't think that's up to him," Beverley said. "... You just seen Jeanie Buss get on TV talking about how unhappy she is and all of that, etc. So I don't even think it's up to LeBron. I think it's up to the ownership. I think it's up to the organization.

"... He's LeBron James. He could stay. He could really go anywhere and try to make a championship happen. ... I want him with the Minnesota Timberwolves. And I don't want to get our team fined either, so I'm trying to give the right answer. I would love him with Minnesota. We're a young group of guys. We got a little experience. We got a lot of toughness. We got a lot of athleticism. He could help mentor Anthony Edwards. But I don't want my team to get fined."

While Beverley made headlines with the comment, the odds that James will leave Los Angeles for Minneapolis are remote. If the Timberwolves want to land James, perhaps they could prioritize drafting his son Bronny in 2024.

James has maintained on multiple occasions that he wants to finish his career by playing alongside his son.

As far as which franchise would give LeBron the better chance at winning, that seems to be pretty obviously Minnesota. The Wolves finished with 13 more wins than the Lakers during the regular season and have a deep roster full of solid young talent highlighted by Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.

A Big Three including James would make the Wolves title contenders. It's just a pipe dream. 

LeBron James may have never entered an NBA slam dunk contest, but he still thinks he'd be an all-timer if he had.

James named himself, Vince Carter, Zach LaVine and Dominique Wilkins as his all-time slam dunk contest as part of a Twitter Q&A on Monday:

Vince, Lavine, Nique, Me. 🤷🏾‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 17, 2022

Carter, LaVine and Wilkins are all stellar choices who have all-time great dunk contest performances on their resume. LaVine and Wilkins are among the five players who won the event twice, and Carter's performance at the 2000 All-Star weekend is arguably the greatest in history.

James, despite near-constant public pressure early in his career, never made the plunge and participated in the contest. His reasoning behind not doing the contest has varied over the years. He's blamed injuries and other times simply said he did not want to participate.

Among fans, it's perhaps the biggest "what if?" of LeBron's historic career. The one iconic moment he, for whatever reason, decided not to provide.

That said, James' confidence in his dunking ability hasn't wavered despite his lack of dunk contest resume. 

LeBron James or Michael Jordan has been debated ad nauseam by basketball fans and commentators alike, but the King added an interesting twist to the debate Monday during a question-and-answer session on Twitter on Monday.

James was asked which teammate either past or present he would choose for a two-on-two game against Jordan and Scottie Pippen and responded by saying Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant.

Kobe, KD or Kyrie

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 17, 2022

While Irving was his only teammate during an NBA season from that list, he did play in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics with Bryant and in the 2012 Games with Durant.

Perhaps James stretched the limits of the question a bit by including two of the all-time greats that he only played with on Team USA, but any of those matchups would be intriguing. Former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade would also figure to make a formidable pairing with James in a matchup against the Chicago Bulls legends, but he apparently didn't make the cut.

That means it's just one more thing for fans to argue about when it comes to matching up James and Jordan.