Report: Lakers Sign Former Head Coach to Replace Jason Kidd

The Los Angeles Lakers had to replace Jason Kidd as he joined the Dallas Mavericks as their new head coach. Things took an unexpected turn for the purple and gold and it was more than obvious that the Lakers will have to make some changes.

When Kidd joined the Lakers, analysts were concerned that his presence would overshadow Frank Vogel. In his first two stints as a head coach, Kidd made several news headlines. Everyone was so convinced that he’d bring a piece of that in Los Angeles. Well, Kidd was a brilliant assistant for the Lakers. However, he has now become the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers decided to replace Jason Kidd with a former head coach

Kidd is gone now, and the Lakers replaced him right away. Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN reported that the Lakers are hiring former New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale.

Fizdale was a top assistant for the Miami Heat for nine seasons. He was part of the team when four-time NBA champion LeBron James led them to two title wins in 2012 and 2013. Fizdale hasn’t been on a coaching staff since he led the Knicks in 2019.

His last job was as a head coach. He hasn’t been an assistant in a long time. NBA experts respect him and his basketball experience. However, he had poor stints in Memphis and New York. These two stints had an impact on his game. In his first season coaching Memphis, Fizdale led the franchise to a 43-39 record. He even took them to the playoffs. The franchise fired him after a 7-12 start. He also struggled with Marc Gasol.

Fizdale was a head coach with the Knicks but his stint didn’t go well. He was 17-65 in his first season and the team fired him after the 4-18 start. Fizdale knows LeBron really well, and he won’t have any trouble getting used to the new system.

When it comes to Vogel, he has yet to receive a new contract with the team. But, the franchise likes him so he will probably stay for a while.