Over the past week or so, the fate of head coach Mike D’Antoni has been up in the air with no clear indication on whether the Los Angeles Lakers will keep him on the sidelines for next season.
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Reportedly, the Lakers brass may have made the decision to keep D’Antoni moving forward according to Mark Heisler of the OC Register:
After 10 days of soul searching, the key figures in Lakers management are agreed on bringing back D’Antoni for a third season as coach, a source with knowledge of the deliberations told the Register.
Although no official announcement has been made by the Lakers organization, it appears D’Antoni will remain in the team’s plans of at least one more season. D’Antoni’s contract for next season is guaranteed at the amount of $4 million to go along with a team option for the following season.
With D’Antoni now apparently in the fold heading into the off-season, the questions remains on whether Pau Gasol will re-sign with the team and what free agents the Lakers may be targeting to fit his system.
There’s no doubt about the fact that retaining D’Antoni will have an impact on the players that return and the players that show interest in joining the team in free agency.
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