The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021-22 season came to a disappointing end on Sunday night with the organization failing to reach the Play-In Tournament despite having championship aspirations.
The franchise will have a number of big decisions to make this summer, although it seems like the first one has already been made. Just minutes after the Lakers left the court for the final time, it was reported that the team had plans of firing head coach Frank Vogel on Monday morning.
While the firing is not yet official, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone considering how this season unfolded. Vogel may have helped guide the Lakers to their 17th championship just two years ago, but he was unable to make things work with this old and injured roster, and now looks to be the scapegoat for the organization’s problems.
The Lakers are expected to conduct a thorough coaching search to find Vogel’s replacement, but according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse is among their top choices already:
The Lakers are expected to fire head coach Frank Vogel, sources tell The Athletic. Among the franchise’s top targets for the position, multiple sources say, is Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.
Nurse, who led the Raptors to a championship in 2019, signed a multiyear contract extension in 2020 and has two years left on his deal. It’s unclear whether he will be attainable or whether he would have interest, but the Lakers are hoping the former Coach of the Year is an option with the allure of coaching James and Davis and the appeal of the Los Angeles market. To acquire Nurse, the Lakers would need to receive permission from the Raptors and likely engage them on a prospective trade.
Nurse is known as one of the best coaches in the league and would be a fantastic hire if the Lakers could lure him away from Toronto.
Considering he is under contract for two more seasons though, the Lakers would likely have to trade for Nurse, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out given L.A.’s lack of assets.
Nurse is repped by Klutch Sports, so it’s easy to see why there may be mutual interest in him coming to L.A. to coach LeBron James and Anthony Davis, even with all of the current turmoil in the organization.
Vogel hasn’ been notified of firing
While the whole world now knows that the Lakers will part ways with Vogel, he has not yet heard the news officially from the organization.
“I haven’t been told s— and I’m going to enjoy tonight’s game, celebrate what these young guys did in terms of scratching and clawing and getting back in this game and getting a W, and we’ll deal with tomorrow tomorrow,” Vogel said after the Lakers’ final game on Sunday night.
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