Lakers Rumors: Is Byron Scott Returning To L.A. Lakers Now?
Lakers rumors about Byron Scott have taken another turn. Los Angeles Lakers president Jennie Buss appears to be pushing to bring back Scott, possibly saving him from being fired during the NBA Playoffs. A report from CBS Sports discusses the coaches that could be fired following a rough regular season, but Scott may no longer be on that list. Despite having a horrible record since taking over as the Lakers coach, Scott may be given another chance to come back for the 2016-17 NBA season.
NBA analyst Ken Berger has a source who states that there is a “major chance” Byron Scott will return as coach of the L.A. Lakers. He also postulates that this could become a long-term plan for the Lakers to replace everyone following the next NBA season. The reason to do that would be to lure Phil Jackson away from the New York Knicks and put him in charge of the Lakers franchise. Jackson is engaged to Buss, which in itself has created many Lakers rumors over the years.
Byron Scott has been the coach of the Lakers for the past two NBA seasons, posting a 38-126 record during that time. His winning percentage is just 23.2 since taking over the Lakers, ranking him among the worst the league has seen recently. Rather than helping the Lakers to improve during the 2015-16 NBA season, the team actually posted a worse record (17-65) than it did in the prior NBA season (21-61). What Scott has going for him, though, is a guaranteed contract that would still pay out if the Lakers fired him.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, it appeared that Scott would be looking for a job as soon as the NBA regular season came to a close. Many NBA analysts were making that prediction as the L.A. Lakers continued to struggle despite having an influx of young talent. There were quite a few Lakers rumors about Scott not getting along with rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell, but it’s also possible the front office could look to trade Russell soon. That could lead to a host of new Lakers rumors taking place during the NBA offseason.
In a new NBA mock draft, the L.A. Lakers are projected to have the No. 2 overall selection. With that pick, the Lakers could select Duke small forward Brandon Ingram and immediately give the team some additional talent. In the second round, the Lakers are projected to draft Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson, possibly predicting that D’Angelo Russell could get traded during the NBA offseason. What the Lakers have to hope, though, is that they don’t fall too far in the NBA Draft Lottery. If the Lakers don’t have a top three pick, that selection goes to the Philadelphia 76ers to fulfill a prior deal.
Adding more top-level talent to a young roster could certainly help Byron Scott make the Lakers more competitive for the 2016-17 NBA season. The Lakers also have a lot of money to spend in free agency, as Kobe Bryant’s huge contract will finally come off the books. This gives the team an opportunity to offer at least one max contract when free agency opens, although it could be difficult to lure some of the big names to a rebuilding project in Los Angeles.
There is a lot that the Lakers front office is going to have to address now that the regular season has come to an end. Even if Byron Scott doesn’t get fired, the team has a lot of work to do when it comes to the roster he will be working with. Fans should expect quite a few Lakers rumors to pop up, including how the team handles the Nick Young situation, whether there is a sign-and-trade of Roy Hibbert brewing, and who the team might target in the 2016 NBA Draft.
[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]
