The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be in safe hands now that head coach Luke Walton is running the show. However, next year the Lakers will have the chance to further speed up their rebuilding process, if they are persistent enough to bring in former head coach Phil Jackson and possibly Jerry West to their front-office.
Mark Heisler of the Orange Country Register discussed the possibility of Jackson ending up with the Lakers GM role. The NBA insider believes Jackson's affiliation with Jeannie Buss will play a major role in Jackson's return to L.A.
"Jackson and his fiance, Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, both deny it's happening. That's absolutely true ... as far as it goes ... until Phil's opt-out on July 1, 2017, with insiders close to both saying he could still wind up with the Lakers."
Jackson's GM tenure with the New York Knicks has been rocky, particularly his relationship with star player Carmelo Anthony, New York Media and the fanbase. However, there's no denying he's instrumental for putting up what appears to be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
His decisions of selecting Kristap Porzingis with no.4 overall pick in 2015 and trading for Derrick Rose last summer appears to be paying off with the Knicks (14-11) boasting the third best record in the East.
But aside from the Zen Master, Heisler also notes the Lakers might as well pursue Jerry West, whose contract with the Golden State Warriors is up next summer. West, the GM that build the Lakers' showtime dynasty in the 80s and the three-peat dominance in the early 2000s, has been instrumental in building the current Warriors' super-team
"If this is a Golden Oldie - I like to make this pitch annually - the Lakers are approaching a watershed moment. With Jeanie Buss preparing to nudge her brother, Jim, to the side - darn, did I give away the ending? - it will be a continuation of this Looney Tunes saga not to pursue West, whose contract with the Warriors is up next summer, in whatever capacity works for him."
"Consulting is a good compromise between being in the action without getting burned out for West. If it would be unorthodox to pay him $1 million or more just to consult, that's what the Warriors did to get him out of retirement at 73 when he had been out of the game for four years."