Championship Coach Reacts to Lakers’ Interest in Him to Replace Frank Vogel

The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Frank Vogel at the end of the regular season. They have to find a replacement and there have been several huge rumors about their next pick. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Lakers will take their time to find the next head coach. A championship coach may join the Lakers per reports.

The franchise has already requested permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham. He has already worked with the team from 2011 to 2013.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Lakers may go after Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

“Nurse, who signed a multiyear contract extension in 2020, led the Raptors to the NBA championship in 2018-19, his first season at the helm,” Charania wrote. “He was voted the NBA’s Coach of the Year the following season after setting a franchise record with a .736 winning percentage. This season, Toronto finished with a 48-34 record, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference and a playoff berth.

“It’s unclear whether Nurse, 54, will be attainable or have an interest in the job, but the Lakers are hoping he is an option with the allure of coaching LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the Los Angeles market.”

Here’s the catch. Nurse is represented by Klutch Sports. If you ask Marc Stein of Substack, Nurse won’t leave the Toronto Raptors to join the Lakers as their next coach.

“But practically, there’s zero indication that Nick wants to leave Toronto,” Stein said on his podcast. “Secondly, even if he did, he’s very early in a new contract. I think he has three years after this one, maybe two, but at least two after this one. … And the Lakers are not exactly flush with draft compensation to get Nick Nurse out of it. So it’s the kind of thing where people around the league have been buzzing about it. I heard it last week. I didn’t report it because of all the practical obstacles that are in the way of it. Just don’t see how the Lakers could get Nick Nurse from the Raptors even if he was angling to get out and I want to make it clear I have not heard anything to that effect.”

Nick Nurse on reports of the Lakers' interest in him: "I don't know where that stuff comes from and I'm focused on coaching this team."

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 2, 2022

Stein also reported on Lakers’ interest in Snyder. He seems like a better option for the purple and gold.