Let me guess. Jimmy Buss is going to trade a first round pick for Mike Brown. Wait, no, sign Vinny Del Negro to a five year 40 million dollar contract, fully guaranteed.

I just knew Mick would be the first to post here

Who should the lakers get???

The Lakers roster isnt that good at the moment, so who ever it is i hope they get a few years to build a team in, similar contract in length to Brett Brown at the 76ers.

I just don't see where they go from here.

Outside of college, there are very few viable options. And all the great college coaches are in great situations and wouldn't want to leave to go work for Jimmy Buss, who has a history of making terrible, terrible basketball decisions.

There are no suitable free agent NBA coaches. You'd have to pry someone away from another team, or go with a retiring (?) player like Derek Fisher...

Stan Van Gundy has said he won't coach outside of Florida until his kids have finished school. I don't think the Lakers should go with a rehash anyway.

They should look at what Boston did and get a smart up-and-comer.

Or you go with an NBA assistant; but with the promotion of so many assistants in the past year, I wonder how many lead assistants are left who are ready to take that leap in terms of managing massive expectations and personalities. This isn't a team like Philly or Boston that is going to be looking to tank next season... there will be no "easing in" to this job...

They could look at chasing Steve Kerr.....Jackson wouldn't be chasing him if he didn't rate him!

Plenty of solid assitant coahes out there what about the lead assistant at Brooklyn whom is getting paid a fortune to sit and home and email Kidd his thoughts

Yeah but would you rather work for Jim Buss or Phil Jackson?

I mean, the Lakers cap sheet for the next season and beyond looks great (even with Kobe's massive deal) and -- shock, horror -- they actually have a first round pick for the upcoming draft, but at the same time you just know Buss is going to draft the wrong guy and not use the stretch provision on the decaying corpse of Steve Nash, because, he's Jim Buss.

And Lawrence Frank is a retread for me: he's still young but he's had plenty of chances as a head coach already. I don't think he would even be on their radar. But you never know. Jim Buss hired Mike Brown. Then he hired D'Antoni when Phil Jackson (!) was willing to take the job. There is no telling how this plays out.

Get Scalabrine!

With rumours over the years of Thibs not always getting along with Bulls management, them trading away Deng for nothing and a first round playoff exit, i wonder if he could be a target?

Not saying the Buss family would be easier to work for, but roster wise he would almost have a clean slate, they dont have too many under contract going forward, a high draft pick, he could demand some say in roster decisions, the potential to earn/demand more $$, a change of boss may be enticing for him, the Lakers could even sign Deng aswell.

btw im a Bulls fan, and dont want that to happen, just throwing it out there, as there arnt really that many obvious good options.

You could have an all star coaching lineup of axed assistants!

Scal as head coach - refusing to talk to anyone else on the coaching staff
Lawrence Frank as associate head coach - filing reports from his home office
Darren Errman - secretly taping all conversations

Darren Errman is key here -- the straw that stirs the drink -- because he can send the audio tapes to Scal (who can't talk face to face with colleagues) and Frank (who is stuck at home doing his 'assignments'), which will keep the whole machine moving.

If only the Celtics didn't recently hire Errman to be their head scout. Hell, they could always trade a first round pick for him!

It's the Lakers, they always find a way to get out off messes. This isn't the first time they've been in trouble, and the NBA knows that the league is at its best when the Lakers are relevant.

D'Antoni had to go. Nice guy, but he wasn't a fit. I think that if Dwight had bought into the pick and roll more, D'Antoni would've been way more successful. At the same time, Howard needed to sort sh!t out with Kobe and that was never really going to change.

Mick, using the stretch provision on Nash is pointless. I initially thought it made a lot of sense. But really, all that is doing is spreading his cap hit over three years. The Lakers aren't going to be competing for a title next season (highly unlikely), and there aren't any guys in free agency who will be worthy of commanding the big $$$ to make Nash's contract a huge problem.

If I were to bet on it, my gut says Farmar, Swaggy P and Pau will be the only guys re-signed. Wouldn't have thought Pau before, but he loves LA and with D'Antoni gone, I expect them to go to that more traditional half court offense.

Only major signing imo will be Luol Deng, but certainly not at max value. The NBA will probably rig the draft and give the Lakers a top 3 pick. If they don't grab Wiggins or Parker, it could definitely be Exum. Let's also not forget that Kevin Love will eventually make his way to LA. Plenty of smoke going on there for years, it'll happen.

A starting 5 of Exum, Kobe (not having to carry the load), Deng, Pau and Love with Farmar and Swaggy P as the two main guys off the bench (still need to find a bench big) would be a very solid start to building a contender.

The Lakers will be back, like it or not. Always happens.

Smokey for coach: Doc Rivers. Let's not kid ourselves: Sterling isn't just going to hand the Clippers over without a fight. I could definitely see Rivers jumping ship to get out of the mess that are the Clippers right now, especially if the Lakers offer him a generous deal.

The lakers would have to pay out Rivers contract so effectively handing Sterling more cash....but Doc would be a good coach!

I like the idea of going after Thibs he could be the real smokey but he'd want a 3/4 year deal with big $$ and guranteed money to get him out of Chicago esp if they think they can get Melo with Rose hopefully coming back!

Yea Thibs would be high price and demanding, but i reckon he would be worth it,

but i hope the lakers dont because i want him to stay at the Bulls, but if i were any club looking for a top coach id be going after him, which is why i threw it out there.

They will seriously consider Messina.

You guys are all forgetting that Jim Buss is calling the shots here.

All bets are off. He could seriously hire Vinny Del Negro. He is that stupid.

I think Deng's best days are behind him. Beware of signing any of Thib's players: they have a LOT of mileage on them because he puts them through the wringer (close to or above 40 MPG, playing defense all game long, not getting any help on offense because of a lack of offensive plays being called. That shit adds up on knees).

I was gonna say I don't see Rivers quitting on his players. But then again he just quit on the Celtics...

Thibs could be had though. Serious rift between him and management in Chicago.

Lionel Hollins

Byron Scott.

Forgot about Hollins. He's probably the best guy going that has an NBA head coaching resume. Proven winner in the modern NBA.

Patrick Ewing gets interviewed & offered the job.

Kevin Ollie might be in line for that OKC job if Memphis grinds out one more victory...

Kevin Ollie.

Yea he OKC job will be the hottest gig going around.....can't see them keeping Brooks even if he has a deep play-off run he has a thin play book and no real offence.

Plus why let Westbrook try and be the man when you have arguably the best pure & efficient scorer since Jordan in your team.....?

They're asking permission to speak with Thibs. Surely worth the money - he is working magic in Chicago.

Karl or Thibs would be your best fits if they are gettable!

Part of the sacking of Hollins was around his lack of play book are plan b!

the players loved him but he lacked the play book or think on his feet ability!

Plus i hear he isn't a fan of Analytics which hurt him in Memphis.

ESPN's "sources" (read into that what you will) have said the Lakers will be approaching Kevin Ollie, Jeff Van Gundy, and asking the Bulls permission to interview Thibs.

Ollie has a good relationship with several NBA stars, plus obviously a couple of college players as well. That plays into his favour.

If it's a coach with prior NBA head coaching experience, obviously Thibs is the best way to go.

Not saying he couldn't do it, but the game has changed A LOT since J Van Gundy last coached.

John Calipari

Calipari has a great job and is on big $$$. It's possible but you'd have to be offering massive coin to get him to even consider it.

Duke, Kentucky etc are plumb jobs in the NCAA and the money is big less travel and shorter season so more family time so why would you leave those jobs to an insure job at the lakers unless it was huge money and a long term deal.

That said Calipari was on the chopping block in Feb from the Wildcat fans so it is still a high pressure job!

The "shortlist" is probably the following guys (in no particular order):

Byron Scott
Steve Kerr
Kevin Ollie
John Calipari
Tom Thibodeau
Mike Dunleavy
Lionel Hollins
Derek Fisher
Kurt Rambis

Would be surprised if anyone else becomes the head coach. I'm expecting it to be a big name, most likely Thibodeau. The only guy on that list I would despise would be Dunleavy.

I don't think anyone, even an idiot like Jim Buss, would be anywhere near stupid enough to offer Steve Kerr 12 million a year. It's a super cool story but so unrealistic that it isn't worth even thinking abut. Or writing this post about, now I think about it.