The NBA’s coaching carousel during the offseason has finally started to slow down as teams have begun to fill in their head coaching vacancies.
The Los Angeles Lakers saw Jason Kidd leave for the Dallas Mavericks after they agreed to part ways with Rick Carlisle. Carlisle would later end up with the Indiana Pacers, while another big name in Chauncey Billups landed with the Portland Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, people like Ime Udoka, Wes Unseld Jr. and Willie Green finally get their shot to be head coaches.
With Kidd moving to the Mavericks, the Lakers filled his spot on the bench with David Fizdale. However, Los Angeles lost another assistant in Lionel Hollins after he and the organization could not agree on a new deal. According to Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic, it seems there was more happening behind the scenes between Hollins and the Lakers:
In the wake of Jason Kidd’s departure to Dallas to serve as the Mavericks’ head coach, Hollins, the former Memphis and Brooklyn head coach, had interest in signing a new deal. But there was frustration with the perceived lack of honest communication from the Lakers with the coaching staff in the process, leading Hollins, who joined Vogel’s staff in 2019, to decide to pursue opportunities elsewhere, sources said.
This is surprising as no tension was previously reported between the two sides, and Hollins was held in high regard between the rest of the coaching staff and the players. Hollins reportedly interviewed to be the lead assistant for Billups’ staff in Portland, but Scott Brooks later filled that position.
In the wake of Hollins’ departure, the Lakers decided to promote Mike Penberthy to the front of the bench. Kidd reportedly offered Penberthy the same position with the Mavericks, but the Lakers decided to move him up and keep him within the organization.
Hollins’ departure is another shakeup during this offseason, and it remains to be seen if the team looks to add someone else to head coach Frank Vogel’s staff.
Chris Bosh details what David Fizdale will bring to Lakers
Fizdale earned the trust of LeBron James during their title runs with the Miami Heat and is lauded for modernizing their offense. However, Chris Bosh outlined several things that Fizdale will bring to the Lakers, including his love of working and connecting with players.