On April 13, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs will officially start today, but they have nothing to do with the Lakers, they have not won the playoffs early and have begun to prepare for next season. And in the past night, the Lakers have a new dynamic, after Vogel's class, the probability of a new coach is updated again; James may not reach an early contract extension with the team this summer, and Westbrook has a new deal plan.
After Vogel was sacked, the new Lakers coach became the focus of outside attention, and at the beginning Raptors coach Nas became a popular candidate. But today it changed again, with former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson coming to number one and Nas in second place. According to AMICK, James is very excited about the prospect of former Warriors coach Mark Jackson winning the Lakers coaching position.
Now that the Lakers want to choose a new manager, they will definitely consult James and Davis, and it is estimated that this news will not be determined early. In addition to Jackson and Nas, Fitzdale, Rivers, Mike Brown, Snyder and others are also on the list, including James on the shortlist.
Amick also revealed that James is considering fulfilling his last-year contract with the Lakers and will not complete the contract extension with the Lakers in advance.
After the end of the season, James has one year left on his contract with the Lakers, with a salary of $44.48 million, and after August 4, he is eligible to renew his contract with the Lakers early, up to a 2-year, $97.1 million contract. Judging from the state of James this season, the Lakers should be willing to provide, but in today's situation, James does not necessarily accept, after all, he still has to consider his future, perhaps he wants to stay in the same team as his son, and that scene will also become a historical moment.
Vogel has left class, and then the Lakers should consider the problem of Westbrook, he has player options this summer, and it is almost certain that he will choose to accept, who will give up more than $40 million? Next, the Lakers need to find a way to trade, after all, Westbrook has not been with the team this season, and the Big Three combination has failed.
Zach Lowe advised the Lakers, providing a 3-for-2 deal plan, specifically: the Lakers sent Westbrook, the first round of 2027 and the first round of 2029, from the Hornets to Hayward and Oubre.
The salary of this transaction is still equal, and it is still good to exchange Wei Shao for two instant combat strength. But Hayward's health is not what the Lakers want, plus to send two first-round picks, it is a bit of a loss, after all, in the middle of this season, the Lakers are not willing to give up too much, and did not send away Wei Shao. Next, it depends on how the Lakers choose, from the current situation, it is still difficult to send away Wei Shao without taking the first round of signing.