On May 6, Beijing time, Sam Amick reported some insider information about the Lakers. Boss Jenny Bass is reluctant to trade James, the real insider exposure of Vogel's class, and the Zen master's voice without getting a formal position have made some high-level people inside the Lakers unhappy.
James will not be traded without renewing his contract
Sources revealed that if James decides not to renew his contract with the Lakers in August, Lakers boss Jenny Bass will not see this matter as a reason worth considering trading James. Previously, the famous Stephen A-Smith had suggested that the Lakers trade James this offseason.
Of course, if James leaves directly in 2023, the Lakers will get nothing, which is not an ideal state, but the Lakers' current position is that as long as they still maintain a good relationship with James, they are willing to accept such a model of signing contracts year by year.
A big reason James was reluctant to renew his contract early was that he wanted to reserve the option. Because he made it clear that he wanted to play with his eldest son, Brownie James. It will also affect his future team choices. James' contract expires next summer, and for the 2022-23 season, his salary is $44.47 million. This season, the Lakers failed to make it to the playoffs, and James played in 56 regular season games, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Vogel's inside story was exposed after class
Amick said Vogel's handling of Westbrook and his inability to integrate him into the team became one of the important reasons why the Lakers decided to fire Vogel. It was thought that it was Vogel's responsibility to make Wei Shao play a role, and his failure to do so indirectly led to Vogel's dismissal. At present, the Lakers are in the process of coaching, and the candidates who have been confirmed for interview include Bucks assistant coach Ham and Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin. They expect to interview more candidates and are not in a hurry to make a decision.
Amick also revealed that "Zen Master" Phil Jackson likes Wei Shao and is a fan of Wei Shao, but he is not interested in going out of the mountain to hold any position, and jackson is currently 76 years old. But his views will affect the Lakers' operations, and Amick believes that the likelihood of Westbrook being traded may be reduced as a result.
Zen masters have the right to speak to cause dissatisfaction
As mentioned above, the "Zen Master" has a voice in many of the Lakers' work, but in fact he does not have any formal position. This has caused dissatisfaction among some high-level officials in power within the Lakers.
But no matter what others think, Jenny-Bass has always relied on people she trusts to provide this kind of informal advice. This was the case before Bryant's death, and Jenny would often ask Kobe's opinion, including hiring Kobe's former agent Pelinka as general manager, and also consulting Kobe's opinion.