The Los Angeles Lakers are experiencing plenty of change in their front office this summer after the departures of head coach Luke Walton and president of basketball operations Magic Johnson.
The team appears to be set on giving more power to general manager Rob Pelinka but is that the right decision to move the franchise forward?
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by Jas Kang, who co-hosts the Lakers Nation Postgame Show. For the time being, it would appear the Lakers don’t intend to replace Johnson in their front office power structure, leading many to question whether it’s time to look beyond the franchise’s family tree and bring in new decision makers who can offer different perspectives.
Additionally, the list of candidates for the vacant head coaching position reportedly includes Ty Lue, Juwan Howard, and Monty Williams, but do any of these coaches represent a step forward for the franchise? We dig into each one and try to come up with who would be the best to lead the team.
Ultimately, the decisions made by owner Jeanie Buss now in apparently increasing Pelinka’s power and allowing him to hire a new head coach will be a factor in the team’s success or failure to recruit free agents this summer. With names like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and others available, will the Lakers be an attractive destination despite the apparent turmoil that surrounds them?