Byron Scott’s spot with the Los Angeles Lakers may be more secure than we initially thought.
It’s been assumed for the longest time that the organization would can Scott once Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour ended. He hasn’t seemed to connect especially well with the kiddies, and the Lakers need to usher in a new era of basketball and leadership as they attempt to distance themselves from that Kobe generation.
But Scott’s departure apparently isn’t a formality after all. Here’s Ken Berger of CBS Sports:
Believe it or not, Byron Scott has what one source described as a “major chance” to stay with the Lakers; Jeanie Buss is said to be pushing for Scott behind the scenes. If so, it could clear the way for a top-to-bottom reset for the franchise in 2017, and the possible return of Jackson to run basketball operations with Luke Walton as the coach. There are a lot of dots to be connected to get from here to there, though — not to mention a lot more games for the Lakers to lose.
It seems odd that Jeanie Buss, of all people, would want Scott back. She has been one of the franchise’s champions of progress.
If she has some ulterior motives—aims that include hoping Phil Jackson can return to Hollywood after next season, when he and the New York Knicks have a mutual opt-out clause—that would make more sense. But that’s a ridiculous limb to step out on, even if Scott has one guaranteed year left on his deal.
There are a ton of good coaching candidates this summer, many of whom, from Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks, to Luke Walton and every San Antonio Spurs assistant ever, could have jobs elsewhere by 2017. There will always be good coaching candidates available, to be sure. But if the Lakers don’t actually view Scott as a pivotal part of the future, there’s little point in keeping him around any longer.
