Lakers fire Vogel; targeting Nurse: Sources (2024)

Frank Vogel is out as coach of the Lakers, ending weeks of speculation about his future after a lackluster season that ended with an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference. The Lakers, who announced Vogel’s dismissal on Monday, are targeting Toronto’s Nick Nurse as a possible successor, multiple sources told The Athletic.

In three seasons as coach, the 48-year-old Vogel helped lead the franchise to the 2020 NBA championship and had a 127-98 record. But the Lakers have been searching for a new voice as they finished this season with a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs. The Lakers were Vogel’s third team as head coach after stints with the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court,” Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in a release. “Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work guiding us to the 2019-20 NBA championship. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point.”

Nurse, who signed a multiyear contract extension in 2020, led the Raptors to the NBA championship in 2018-19, his first season at the helm. He was voted the NBA’s Coach of the Year the following season after setting a franchise record with a .736 winning percentage. This season, Toronto finished with a 48-34 record, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference and a playoff berth.

It’s unclear whether Nurse, 54, will be attainable or have an interest in the job, but the Lakers are hoping he is an option with the allure of coaching LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the Los Angeles market.

To acquire him, the Lakers would need to receive permission from the Raptors and likely engage them in a prospective trade. Over the next several weeks, expect several other candidates to emerge, including Michigan coach Juwan Howard, who interviewed for the opening in 2019.

After an ESPN report emerged Sunday that Vogel was out as the Lakers’ coach, he said he hadn’t “been told sh*t.”

“We’ll deal with tomorrow tomorrow,” he added.

For more on what’s next for the Lakers, read Shams Charania’s full story in the Go Deeper section below.

(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)

What to make of the Vogel firing

Bill Oram, Lakers beat writer: The Lakers should be embarrassed. Rob Pelinka should be admonished. And potential candidates should be paying attention.

Pelinka has spent the last two years fighting the reputation Magic Johnson hung on him of being a backstabber. How is that going today? Sunday’s disgrace was just the latest reminder that the Lakers do not value coaches. They lowball them, berate them and discard them.

Until the Lakers decide to treat a head coach like a true priority instead of just an extra on set, fans should expect a revolving door of short-timers rather than any of the big names that have already begun circulating.

What are the Lakers looking for in a head coach?

Jovan Buha, Lakers beat writer: Logic dictates that they’re looking for more than Vogel provided over the last two seasons, fair or not. They will likely seek a coach that has more gravitas in the locker room. Over the second half of the season, it was clear Vogel didn’t have consistent buy-in from his players.

The Lakers could also use an upgrade on the offensive end, particularly in the form of more modern principles and playcalling.

Why is Nurse a top candidate?

Buha: Nurse is considered by many to be one of the top coaches in the league. He’s a recent champion and has found creative ways to maximize his Toronto rosters, which have lacked top-end star power since Kawhi Leonard’s departure in 2019.

He often comes up with unorthodox schemes and lineups, which the Lakers could benefit from. There haven’t been many sharper minds in the game over the last few seasons and, considering he’s also a Klutch client, the fit is clear.

Would Nurse be interested in the job?

Eric Koreen, Raptors beat writer: Coaching the Lakers is a glamorous thought, Nurse’s coaching idol is Phil Jackson and any great coach thinks he can help turn things around, especially when there is top-line talent to work with.

Saying that, the Lakers do all the little things wrong, and the Raptors do most of them right. He has a charitable foundation based in Toronto, is the Canadian men’s national team coach and the support of one of the league’s best executives, Masai Ujiri. It feels far-fetched.