The Lakers are expected to fire coach Frank Vogel, according to sources in The Athletic. Among the franchise’s top goals for the position, many sources say, is Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. In three seasons as Lakers coach, Vogel helped lead the franchise to the 2020 NBA Championship with a 127-98 record. But these Lakers were looking for a new voice and Vogel, who is entering the final year of his contract, saw a defensive slip and his voice dropped throughout the season. Ners, who led the Raptors to the league in 2019, signed a multi-year contract extension in 2020 and has two years left on his contract. It is unclear if it will be possible or interesting, but the Lakers hope that the former coach of the year is a choice with the charm of coach James and Davis and the impact of the Los Angeles market. To acquire Nurse, the Lakers will need to obtain a license from the Raptors and possibly engage them in a future trade. In the next few weeks, several other candidates are expected to emerge, including University of Michigan coach Juwan Howard, who was interviewed for the 2019 opening. Ten months ago, when the Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook in a night draft, the famous franchise was expected to fight for the second league in three years.
