Lakers News: Another NBA Coaching Vacancy Filled, Making LA Primo Destination

Now, only two head coach job openings remain.

Jan 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) stands on the Lakers logo at center court in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Wizards, who had the not-quite-so-honorable distinction of being the second-worst team by record (15-67) in a particularly egregious year at the bottom of the NBA standings, have officially locked in interim head coach Brian Keefe — who replaced Wes Unseld Jr. midway through the 2023/24 season — as their permanent head coach moving forward, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Why does this matter for the Los Angeles Lakers?

Quite simply, it expands their own pool of potential hires. The Wizards were just one of three clubs with head coaching vacancies at the start of Wednesday. Now, with this Keefe news impending (it is not yet official, Woj scooped Washington), only a pair of 2024 playoff clubs remain in the hunt for a fresh head coach: the Lakers and LeBron James' most recent other club, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Both squads finished within a game of each other this season (the Cavs notched 48 wins and grabbed the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed, the Lakers won 47 contests and fought their way into the No. 7 seed following a play-in game "upset" over the 49-33 New Orleans Pelicans). A Cleveland squad sans James will have far less scrutiny than the Lakers with James (assuming the 20-time All-Star, 39, does return to L.A. one way or another), so, from that perspective, young assistant coaches looking to prove their mettle may feel a bit more comfortable toiling away in the (relative) obscurity of Cleveland than under the glare of the Tinselton spotlight.

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