Although the Los Angeles Lakers are still in the midst of celebrating their 17th championship in franchise history, front offices around the league have already shifted gears toward the offseason ahead.
Head coach Frank Vogel proved to be the right man for the job by helping this team reach its title expectations in his first year. Of course, the efforts of his coaching staff have not been overlooked given their contributions during an unprecedented season.
Assistant Phil Handy is one of the notable pieces of Vogel’s crew that have already reportedly garnered interest from the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, lead assistant Jason Kidd remains as one of the top head coaching candidates on the market.
The New Orleans Pelicans are among the teams searching for a new head coach. Despite Kidd’s impressive resumé, he is not believed to be one the finalists for the job, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Pelicans have four finalists for their head coaching job, including Stan Van Gundy and Ty Lue who are meeting in New Orleans with team officials this week and are seen as the expected choices to be offered the job. Two more finalists are expected to interview next week, sources said. Sources added Lakers assistant Jason Kidd is not part of the Pelicans’ process right now.
Kidd’s omission may come as a bit of a surprise considering he was already rumored to be a top candidate for a few teams even before the Lakers won the championship. It is safe to assume that his contributions would only boost his value.
Of course, it is still early and there is plenty of time for teams like the Pelicans to have a change-of-heart throughout the course of the offseason. Especially now that Ty Lue has agreed to a five-year deal to replace Doc Rivers as the next head coach of the L.A. Clippers.
Time with Lakers helped improve Kidd’s image as coach
Kidd’s hiring to Vogel’s staff raised some speculation about how the dynamic would work out following his underwhelming stints with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. The result was better than many expected as he earned praise from his peers and players alike.
Kidd’s role in the Lakers’ resurgence has helped him to rebuild his image in the eyes of front offices around the league.
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