Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel was reportedly almost fired earlier this season, but things have only gotten worse for the Lakers after the All-Star break as they sit with a 31-47 record.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer confirms that Vogel is expected to be let go after this season.
In every likelihood, the Lakers are not going to make the play-in tournament, representing a massive organizational failure after coming into the season with championship expectations. With a loss at league-leading Phoenix on Tuesday night, plus a San Antonio Spurs win against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers would officially become ineligible for the tournament.
They currently stand two games behind San Antonio for the final, 10th spot in the Western Conference postseason, and have also lost the tiebreaker thanks to each team’s in-conference record.
With Vogel on his way out, attention is already turning to potential candidates to replace him. Fischer brings up names like Quin Snyder, Doc Rivers, Kurt Rambis, Mike Brown and Steve Clifford as possible options, and he notes the possibility of candidates having prior ties to the organization as a likely prerequisite.
In terms of the roster, a potential trade of All-Star forward Anthony Davis this offseason is on the table. The same goaes also for Russell Westbrook, although the options to move Westbrook appear limited outside of a Rockets framework that would deliver John Wall to Los Angeles.
The Lakers will also have to consider a future without guard Malik Monk, who ranks third on the team in both total minutes played and points scored this season. The 11th pick in the 2017 NBA draft thrived alongside James this season, shooting over 39% from distance for the second straight campaign and scoring 17.2 points per 36 minutes.
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