The Los Angeles Lakers are facing offseason challenges, with uncertainty surrounding LeBron James and his decision to opt out of his contract. The Lakers are in search of a new coach after the dismissal of Darvin Ham following their first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.
One potential candidate for the job was Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who had reportedly been in talks with the Lakers about taking over as their head coach. However, it seems that Kidd will be staying in Dallas after receiving a contract extension. This news means that he is no longer an option for the Lakers.
Tyronn Lue, who led LeBron James to an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 while coaching for the Los Angeles Clippers, had also been a target for the Lakers. However, it appears that Lue will be signing an extension with the Clippers, making him unavailable to the Lakers as well.
With both Kidd and Lue off limits, it seems like the Lakers will have to look elsewhere for their next head coach. According to Marc Stein’s Substack, Kidd does not believe he will be able to sign with the Lakers due to his recent success with the Mavericks and reports indicating that he is likely to receive a contract extension soon.