The Lakers will open their preseason with a pair of games in Thousand Palms in Greater Palm Springs, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 4 and the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 6 at Acrisure Arena.

They most recently hosted the Suns at Acrisure Arena, which opened in late 2022, to close their 2023-24 preseason slate.

The Lakers will also host the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets for these preseason games will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m.

Tickets for the matchups against the Timberwolves and Suns can be purchased via Ticketmaster or at the Acrisure Arena Ticketmaster box office, while tickets for the matchup against the Warriors will be on sale at axs.com and at the T-Mobile Arena box office.

The Lakers鈥� entire preseason schedule will be released this summer.

Spectrum SportsNet will broadcast all of the Lakers鈥� preseason games as the exclusive regional broadcast home for the team. All preseason games can also be heard on the team鈥檚 flagship radio station 710 AM and in Spanish on 1330 AM.

The other good part, The place was rocking. The bad part: This should have been on a larger stage. The paid attendance was 3,847 in the 4,000-or-so capacity Pyramid at Long Beach State. This is the WNBA鈥檚 moment, and the league鈥檚 individual teams have to figure out a way to take advantage of it.

Also a tease for the column: Layshia Clarendon, pride of San Bernardino鈥檚 Cajon High and one who absolutely gets it, had some pretty pertinent things to say about where the league is now and, in response to my question, where it will be in another 27 years or so.

There鈥檚 some veteran leadership on the roster, with Clarendon, Dearica Hamby and Kia Nurse, who had a triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists for Clarendon), a double-double (20 points, 14 rebounds for Hamby) and an 8-for-16 shooting night with 5-for 11 from behind the arc (Nurse, with a team-high 23 points). That leadership will pay dividends as the season continues. Whether it will bring a playoff spot with it remains to be seen, but I think this team is in good hands beyond this year.

Mirjam Swanson: Dearica told me the other day that the Sparks won鈥檛 be a lottery team this year 鈥� and I鈥檇 love to believe her, because I like when L.A. gets fired up about women鈥檚 hoops, like folks did this past college basketball season.

But I don鈥檛 know.

Miller, however, is someone who certainly does know what he鈥檚 talking about, and he鈥檚 right: The priority this season should absolutely be developing Brink (who had several highlights to write home about!) and Jackson, and second- and third-year talents like Zia Cooke and Rae Burrell. And, sure, part of that development is learning how to win in the WNBA 鈥� which isn鈥檛 easy.

I鈥檓 glad the Sparks put on a good show in their opener against Atlanta, but 鈥� like the Sparks 鈥� not a ton is expected this season from the Dream.

I鈥檓 looking forward to seeing how the Sparks fare against the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Saturday. If they can make that a competitive ballgame, well! Then the Sparks might really be up to something. And Dearica can be like: Told ya.

We鈥檒l see!

Jim: Meanwhile, the Great Lakers Coach Search continues (and yes, that title is an homage to the late Herald-Examiner sports editor and columnist, Bud Furillo). And sure enough, JJ Redick seems to be the favorite to get the job. This baffles me. You just fired a guy, Darvin Ham, in part because he wasn鈥檛 the finished product in terms of strategy and managing a game. (Those were the public reasons, anyway.) And now you鈥檙e going to hire a guy with no 鈥� none, zip, zero, nada 鈥� coaching experience to lead a franchise with enormous pressure and enormous expectations.

Sorry, but this makes no sense.

And as I suggested last week when I wrote a column about the (misguided) notion that LeBron James could be a player-coach (he can鈥檛, according to the collective bargaining agreement), bringing in Redick would be about the same thing as giving the reins to LeBron. As Marc Stein 鈥� which I recommend subscribing to, if you haven鈥檛 already 鈥� this could divide the locker room. Stein quoted Udonis Haslem on ESPN鈥檚 NBA Today thusly:

鈥淚f it鈥檚 JJ [Redick], it’s going to be a cynical locker room. You鈥檙e gonna see guys that are gonna say, 鈥業s Coach gonna do a podcast after the game with LeBron?鈥� You gonna have a cynical locker room of guys that are gonna side-eye everything JJ says, cause they鈥檙e gonna wonder, 鈥業s it JJ鈥檚 message or LeBron鈥檚 message?鈥欌��

And there鈥檚 this from Tim Hardaway Sr. 鈥� you know, the Run TMC Golden State Warriors鈥� Tim Hardaway 鈥� who was one of those who originally floated a player-coach role for LeBron:

鈥淚f you鈥檙e just going to hire JJ Redick 鈥� LeBron is going to run everything, going to run practice, going to run games; he鈥檚 just going to run everything.鈥�

I鈥檇 like to believe that Rob Pelinka 鈥� after, of course, consulting with Jeanie Buss and her kitchen cabinet 鈥� decides that someone with more experience should be in charge. And in fact the Lakers do seem to be doing their due diligence, although it鈥檚 also been suggested that they鈥檙e stalling for time until after the NBA Finals and after Redick鈥檚 broadcast commitment to ESPN runs out.

What do you think, Mirjam? Will the folks in the Laker building come to their senses on this one?

Mirjam: I saw that segment with Haslem live. Austin Rivers was on that episode too, echoing similar thoughts. Of course, not to be cynical, but I had to wonder what their motivations were.

Because Haslem advocated for the hiring of Chris Quinn, the longest-tenured assistant coach on the Miami Heat鈥檚 coaching staff. Though Haslem made sure to point out: 鈥淚鈥檓 not just saying this 鈥檆ause Chris Quinn is my guy …鈥�

And Rivers voiced his support for Sam Cassell, a longtime assistant of Doc Rivers (Austin鈥檚 dad) at different stops, including with the Clippers.

That said, the next Lakers coach will have to check a ton of boxes, foremost among them: Does LeBron respect you?

Think back to 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers excused David Blatt and hired Tyronn Lue (even though they had the Eastern Conference鈥檚 best record 鈥� 30-11 鈥� at the time).

There were all these stories back then about how Blatt hadn鈥檛 been able to control the huddle or keep LeBron鈥檚 attention in those moments. (Sound familiar, Lakers fans?) But remember what happened when Ty took over? What he reportedly, famously told LeBron when LeBron tried to override him, and how that helped establish his gravitas in that setting? 鈥淪hut the [expletive] up. I got this.鈥�

Is JJ a guy to do that (probably) and get away with it/make it work (maybe)?

I don鈥檛 actually think hiring a coach with none, zip, zero, nada coaching experience for THIS job is the right call. But it鈥檚 hard to predict which basketball mind will meld successfully with LeBron鈥檚.

Jim: Two more NBA thoughts: You think Austin might have been influenced by the idea

And here鈥檚 one more LeBron-related item. Now he鈥檚 backing away from the idea that he鈥檇 want to play for the same NBA team that his son Bronny would go to. (I can鈥檛 possibly imagine Bronny is ready yet, but that鈥檚 beside the point). But could you imagine them playing against each other in the NBA? What happens the first time Bronny steals the ball from his old man and goes to the other end for a layup? Would that be the chase-down block to end all chase-down blocks?

(Kids these days!)

OK, last subject of the day: Chris Taylor. He has been the worst hitter in the big leagues this spring (4 for 56, .071, minus 0.7 WAR), and after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had proclaimed that he wanted to give Taylor some 鈥渞unway鈥� to get right, Taylor hasn鈥檛 played since May 7.

And now Jason Heyward is getting ready to come off the injured list, and someone needs to make room. You鈥檝e got James Outman, who isn鈥檛 hitting much better (.151, minus-0.5 WAR) but has minor-league options left. Is it that tough a choice? Outman can get himself straightened out by going to the minor leagues, but if he stays he can still provide outfield defense. Taylor still has two years and $30 million left (minus what he鈥檚 already been paid this year) on his contract, two years at $13 million and a $4 million buyout if his option isn鈥檛 picked up for 2026. (Outman is signed for this year at $770,000.)

Or, to put it another way, which one do you assign a phantom injury to in order to activate Heyward? (Not that that鈥檚 ever done in the big leagues, of course.)

Mirjam: Oh, man. Taylor is having such a rough go of it. He has to be the odd man out, if you鈥檙e going the phantom injury route. But overall, long term, what to do with him if he can鈥檛 get it going? And how can he get it going if he鈥檚 not playing? And how can you play him when he鈥檚 not hitting, like, at all?

Taylor has been a Dodger for almost a decade, come through in the clutch in the postseason, and was rewarded with a four-year, $60 million deal after the 2021 season 鈥� which limits what the Dodgers will want to do with him, right?

But he鈥檚 become less versatile (just two innings at second base, otherwise, he鈥檚 played exclusively in left field) and obviously, .071 is .071. Yeesh.

But I just read a suggestion from that might help, if Dodger fans are so obliged: Clap for CT3.

No, really. Think about the Philadelphia Phillies鈥� fans treatment of Trea Turner last season.

How they鈥檇 booed him (naturally, it鈥檚 Philly) after he got off to a poor start before a local radio producer had an idea before Turner鈥檚 first at-bat during an August homestand, suggesting, as Michael Elizondo recounted: 鈥淭hat the fans of Citizens Bank Park should try to bolster Turner鈥檚 feelings by giving him a standing ovation.鈥�

Seem hokey?

鈥淢aybe a little,鈥� Elizondo wrote, 鈥渂ut here鈥檚 the strange thing: it helped 鈥� correlation is not causation but Turner was a far different and better player after the standing ovation for the rest of the season than before it, slashing .337/.389/.668 in his final 48 games.鈥�

And by Turner鈥檚 own admission: 鈥淚 owe you guys a thank you. I鈥檝e heard that you guys were responsible, so I want to say thank you for you guys. I started playing a lot better, and it was thanks to you guys and the crowd.鈥�

These athletes are human, after all, and what Taylor is going through is so very human. So 鈥� what could it hurt, at this point?

Jim: My suspicion was that this would be taken out of the fans鈥� hands. But … a bulletin: Taylor鈥檚 in the lineup tonight against the Cincinnati Reds, hitting seventh (right in front of Outman, in fact). So let鈥檚 see how the fans react.

ESPN鈥檚 Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that the Lakers secured permission to interview several assistants for their head coaching opening, including: Denver鈥檚 David Adelman, New Orleans鈥� James Borrego, Boston鈥檚 Sam Cassell, Minnesota鈥檚 Micah Nori and Miami鈥檚 Chris Quinn.

This comes on the heels of Monday鈥檚 ESPN report that the Lakers鈥� initial focus will be on assistants and former NBA head coaches who they aren鈥檛 as familiar with.

The report added that the Lakers鈥� coaching search is 鈥渆xpected to proceed in stages with this first wave … a period of talking to coaches with whom the Lakers have more history, followed by a whittling of the list to a final round of candidates.鈥�

The Lakers are also expected to interview Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, who was a finalist for their head coaching vacancy two offseasons ago that was filled by Darvin Ham, and ESPN analyst/broadcaster JJ Redick, who played 15 seasons in the NBA. The Lakers also have interest in Clippers head coach Ty Lue, who is still under contract with the Clippers.

Adelman, the son of Hall of Famer Rick Adelman, is the lead assistant coach for the defending NBA champions and has been on Coach Michael Malone鈥檚 staff since the 2017-18 season. He鈥檚 been an NBA assistant coach since joining the Minnesota Timberwolves as a player development coach in 2011-12 under his father for his first NBA job.

Borrego is the Pelicans鈥� lead assistant under coach Willie Green after being the Charlotte Hornets鈥� head coach from 2018-22. He was a San Antonio Spurs assistant coach under longtime head coach Gregg Popovich from 2003-10 and 2015-18. Borrego was also a Pelicans鈥� (known then as the New Orleans Hornets) assistant from 2010-12 and Orlando Magic assistant from 2012-15, including being the Magic鈥檚 interim head coach for the final 30 games of the 2014-15 season following Jacque Vaughn鈥檚 firing.

Cassell, who played in the NBA for 15 seasons (1993-2008), is currently an assistant under Celtics鈥� head coach Joe Mazzulla. He鈥檚 also been an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards (2009-14), Clippers (2014-20) and Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23) since his retirement as a player.

Nori has been the Timberwolves鈥� lead assistant under head coach Chris Finch the last three seasons. He鈥檚 also been an assistant for the Toronto Raptors (2009-13), Sacramento Kings (2013-15), Nuggets (2015-18) and Detroit Pistons (2018-21). Nori has had increased responsibilities during the Timberwolves鈥� ongoing second-round playoff series against the Nuggets. He鈥檚 been patrolling the sidelines since Finch suffered a right patellar tendon injury that required surgery, forcing Finch to be seated during games.

Quinn, who played in the NBA from 2006-11 and 2012-13, has spent his entire NBA coaching career with the Heat under longtime head coach Erik Spoelstra. He started off as a player development coach in 2014 and has played a significant role in the Heat鈥檚 heralded player development system. Quinn is the longest-tenured assistant on Spoelstra鈥檚 staff.

The Lakers fired Ham on May 3 after just two seasons at the helm after an up-and-down 2023-24 season. Ham finished his Lakers tenure with a 90-74 regular-season record and a 9-12 playoff record, with the Lakers making the postseason in both seasons.

The Nuggets swept the Lakers in last season鈥檚 Western Conference finals and the Lakers were once again knocked out of the playoffs by the Nuggets in five games in a first-round playoff series last month.

will start contacting coaching candidates 鈥渋n the coming days.鈥�

The report, which cited unnamed sources, added that the Lakers鈥� initial focus will be on assistants and former NBA head coaches they aren鈥檛 as familiar with before mentioning the initial interview list is expected to include assistant coaches such as the Miami Heat鈥檚 Chris Quinn and the New Orleans Pelicans鈥� James Borrego.

on May 3 after just two seasons at the helm after an up-and-down 2023-24 season.

Ham finished his Lakers tenure with a 90-74 regular-season record and a 9-12 playoff record, with the Lakers making the postseason in both seasons.

The Denver Nuggets swept the Lakers in last season鈥檚 Western Conference finals and the Lakers were once again knocked out of the playoffs by the Nuggets in five games in a first-round playoff series last month.

ESPN added that the Lakers鈥� coaching search is 鈥渆xpected to proceed in stages with this first wave … a period of talking to coaches with whom the Lakers have more history, followed by a whittling of the list to a final round of candidates.鈥�

The Lakers鈥� front office is in Chicago for the NBA draft combine this week.

: Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman, Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Noriand and ESPN analyst/broadcaster JJ Redick.

The Lakers were expected to show interest in Charles Lee and Mike Budenholzer, but they were hired last week as head coaches for the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns, respectively.

Seriously.

I鈥檓 not alone here. A couple of readers have made the same suggestion in recent days. And Byron Scott, someone with intimate knowledge of Jeanie Buss鈥� organization 鈥� a member of the family, practically 鈥� came to the same conclusion during a national TV conversation on Fox Sports鈥� 鈥淯ndisputed,鈥� telling hosts Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson: 鈥淢ake him the coach!鈥�

But there鈥檚 one tiny problem: It鈥檚 not permitted under NBA rules.

When the salary cap was instituted for the 1984-85 season as part of the player-coach concept because of the possibility that a team might use a highly paid player as coach 鈥� someone such as LeBron, who would make $51.7 million next season if he picks up his Lakers option 鈥� to circumvent the cap. Can鈥檛 have that.

(If they were ever to change that rule 鈥� say, to offer a player $51.7 million to play and $1 to coach, might it be known as the LeBron Exception?)

In every other way, making James the coach would have made sense. Here鈥檚 Byron again, on 鈥淯ndisputed鈥�:

鈥淟isten, I got nothing but love and respect for LeBron. I love him, I think he鈥檚 one of the greatest players that ever played this game. But it鈥檚 obvious to me, at least, that he鈥檚 making a lot of decisions that鈥檚 going on in this organization, from a coaching standpoint to a player standpoint. So if you鈥檙e going to allow him to make those decisions, all right, sit on the bench and make those decisions as well. Be the head coach. Player-head coach … back to the Bill Russell days.鈥�

Yes, superstars in the NBA do have enough power that executives consult them before major moves, like coaching changes. And superstars can get coaches fired. Did it happen in this case? Hmmm …

Boston鈥檚 Dave Cowens was actually the NBA鈥檚 last player-coach in 1978-79, the pre-cap era, before giving it up to return to playing. It was a fairly common practice in the league鈥檚 early days, but the last successful player-coaches were Russell with the Celtics from the 1966-67 season through 鈥�68-69 and Lenny Wilkens, who was a player-coach with Seattle (鈥�69-鈥�72) and later Portland (鈥�74-75).

When Russell was named the Celtics鈥� player-coach for the 1966-67 season to succeed the retiring Red Auerbach, the announcement was partially 鈥� largely? 鈥� to troll the Lakers. The news conference came after L.A. had won Game 1 of the 鈥�66 Finals in Boston, and it was a superb piece of gamesmanship. (Lakers coach Fred Schaus hated it, which probably tells you all you need to know 鈥� that, and the fact the Celtics wound up winning Auerbach鈥檚 last Finals as coach in seven games.)

Auerbach correctly figured that the only guy who could maintain Russell鈥檚 level of production was Russell himself. And he was right. Russell the player-coach won two additional rings in 1968 and 鈥�69, both at the Lakers鈥� expense.

Interestingly, years later Auerbach was asked by Sam McManis of the L.A. Times about Russell the coach, at Seattle and Sacramento.

鈥淔air,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 did it to keep his interest going. It was beginning to fade by that time. It seemed to me that the best way to motivate Bill Russell at that point was to put him in charge. 鈥� Bill could鈥檝e been a great coach, but he didn鈥檛 like the nitty-gritty of it. He had too many distractions, but if he wanted to, he would鈥檝e been a great coach.鈥�

The difference: Russell likely would have played hard for another coach without trying to undermine him.

So, back to Scott this week talking about LeBron: 鈥淎s far as I鈥檓 concerned, the only person that he鈥檚 going to really trust is himself. …聽 It鈥檚 (coaching in general) one of those jobs right now where all the pressure and all the blame is always on the coach. You know, you got superstars and you got coaches. Coaches are getting blamed. Superstars aren鈥檛. You don鈥檛 have these guys taking accountability for what they鈥檝e done in the playoffs or what they鈥檝e done over the regular season. It all goes back to the coaches.鈥�

Under those circumstances, would LeBron have actually wanted the job? We might never know.

Yes, the NBA is much different now from the days when player-coaches were, if not routine, at least not unusual. In that era, a head coach might have had one assistant, maximum. Now, with a half-dozen or so assistants in sweats on the sideline, wouldn鈥檛 such additional support have made it easier for a player to take on that dual role?

Of course, if the Lakers turn around and hire someone with no coaching experience like, say, JJ Redick, they might as well have made LeBron the head coach without portfolio.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Western Conference, a former Lakers coach probably could have anticipated what was coming. In the days after the Phoenix Suns were swept by Minnesota, owner Mat Ishbia actually 鈥淎sk the other 29 GMs 鈥� 26 of them would trade their whole team for our whole team and our draft picks and everything as is.鈥�

(Sudden thought: Would you trade LeBron and A.D. for Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, straight up? The caveat: You鈥檇 probably have to take Bradley Beal as a throw-in.)

As soon as Ishbia uttered those words, Frank Vogel should have known where the blame was going to fall. Sure enough, he was fired Thursday after one season with the Suns and 49 regular-season victories. With the Lakers, at least, he lasted three seasons and won a title with LeBron and A.D.

Again: Coaches are held accountable. Superstars 鈥� and owners and executives 鈥� usually aren鈥檛.

jalexander@scng.com

Is it enough to have a decent hot dog, a reasonably priced seat with good sightlines, a stadium or venue that鈥檚 relatively easy to get into and out of? Is concessions variety important to you? What about the in-game experience? Do you want a high-energy atmosphere, or would you prefer that the speakers be turned down a bit 鈥� even if it鈥檚 only once in a while 鈥� so you can hear yourself think or actually, you know, talk to the person next to you without having to scream?

Or is it all about winning and nothing else? Do you judge an owner by the money he/she spends on the team, and patience with and commitment to coaches and or managers? Or is there such a thing as too much patience? Do you want your owner to be involved, or does it matter if they鈥檙e hands-off or absentee owners who don鈥檛 sweat the details? (And, in some cases, might you prefer your owner to just keep writing checks and otherwise stay away?)

We have a pretty varied menagerie of ownership in SoCal. It鈥檚 not hard to figure out which ones are successful by classic standards; in most cases, you can look at the won-loss record for hints. But do the standards go deeper than the standings or playoff results?

I鈥檝e got my ideas, as you might suspect. But I want to hear from you, the fans, and not just those who, um, are loyal to a particular team but can鈥檛 stand the owner. (Angels fans, I think we all know where Arte Moreno winds up on this list.) What makes the good ones stand out? What do they do to earn your loyalty? What can they do better?

As you might have already suspected from the way this column began, yes, I am trolling for responses. The more you cheer, or vent, the more additional columns come out of this concept. I鈥檓 only a little bit shameless.

Here are my thoughts, ranked by order of (my perceived) ownership quality:

1. Dodgers (Guggenheim ownership group, led by Mark Walter): Since closing their purchase from Frank McCourt on May 1, 2012, the Guggenheim Dodgers have won 11 division titles in 12 seasons and have a .602 regular-season winning percentage, along with one World Series title in 2020 鈥� and the organizational feeling is that one is not enough, which fans should appreciate. And they鈥檝e plunged lots of money into rejuvenating Dodger Stadium. (But I do wish they鈥檇 turn those speakers down once in a while.)

2. Clippers (Steve Ballmer): Ballmer, too, fares well in comparison with the previous ownership (i.e., the Donald Sterling reign of error). On-court success has been mixed and is elusive in the postseason largely because of injuries, primarily to Kawhi Leonard. But the Clippers have a stable, professional front office and what should be a transformative new home, the Intuit Dome, beginning next season.

3. Rams (Stan Kroenke): They鈥檝e made the playoffs five of the last seven seasons and have stability, with Sean McVay on the sideline, Les Snead making the calls in the front office 鈥� including draft successes that are a that sometimes 鈥� and Kevin Demoff overseeing things. And SoFi Stadium has raised the standards for NFL stadia, although game day parking can still be a mess.

4. LAFC: (Multiple-person ownership structure including Magic Johnson, Nomar Garciaparra and wife Mia Hamm and Will Ferrell, among many others, with Bennett Rosenthal currently listed as lead managing owner): Success on the field, a gem of a facility in BMO Stadium, organizational stability and a bond with its supporters 鈥� considering that well before this team had any players, management listened to potential fans鈥� concerns and suggestions. Who else does that?

5. Ducks (Henry and Susan Samueli): They鈥檙e coming out of a rebuild, but this is a stable franchise with a loyal fan base, and Honda Center is 31 years old but still a first-class building. The OCVIBE development that will surround it, currently under construction, is essentially Anaheim鈥檚 answer to L.A. Live.

6. Chargers (Dean Spanos): Their tenancy in SoFi Stadium has quieted the narrative that accompanied them here in 2017 鈥� 鈥�Who asked for you?鈥�聽鈥� and hiring Jim Harbaugh created their biggest splash since the move. Spanos was (and probably still is) hated in San Diego but has upgraded to meh in Los Angeles.

7. Lakers (Jeanie Buss): The 2020 bubble championship changed the narrative for a bit, but the feeling remains that Buss and her advisors aren鈥檛 really living up to the standards of Laker Exceptionalism. The circumstances around the firing of Darvin Ham led to a good amount of 鈥渄o they know what they鈥檙e doing?鈥� talk among a devoted but increasingly frustrated fan base. Can鈥檛 blame them.

8. Angel City Football Club (Multi-person ownership group, currently led by investor-owners Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman, Natalie Portman and Alexis Ohanian and featuring plenty of celebrity involvement): The second-year franchise is worth $180 million, the highest of the 14 teams in the National Women鈥檚 Soccer League and evidence that the league waited way too long to expand to L.A. 鈥� but there鈥檚 talk about amid suggestions that those in charge are overspending. Potentially messy stuff, but the organization has done a lot right with its initiatives in the surrounding community.

9. Kings (Phil Anschutz and Ed Roski): Do we know for sure that primary owner Anschutz, whose worth according to Forbes magazine really cares about the performance of the team he and Roski purchased in 1995? Especially now, in light of a third straight first-round elimination, I鈥檇 think Kings fans would want some kind of indication the owner is at least paying attention to what GM Rob Blake, president Luc Robitaille and CEO Dan Beckerman are doing with his hockey team.

10. Galaxy (also Anschutz): You can make the case that Anschutz, an early and large investor in Major League Soccer, helped keep that league alive. (That鈥檚 why his name is on the MLS Cup.) He once owned six MLS teams but now his ownership is limited to the Galaxy, which is a contender again after several years on the outskirts. Again, better if he鈥檚 paying attention or not?

11. Sparks (Eric Holoman, CEO and governor): They鈥檝e always had a loyal fan base, though the on-court product in recent seasons has affected attendance. Now, with women鈥檚 sports in general and basketball in particular having a transcendent moment, are the Sparks prepared to capitalize?

12. Angels (Arte Moreno): Remember when Arte was the people鈥檚 choice, the Guy Who Lowered Beer Prices? Yeah, I know. That was more than two decades ago. The issue here is that he鈥檚 too involved, too impetuous, and should hire a president of baseball operations to talk him down from the ledge when needed.

Incomplete, Rugby FC Los Angeles (Pete Sickle, CEO and co-founder): Did you know SoCal had another Major League Rugby team? Neither did I until a couple of weeks ago, which suggests getting the word out was a lower priority than it should have been. The first franchise won a league title in 2021 and was terminated after 2022. This one is relocated from Atlanta, plays in Carson and has a 1-6-1 record midway through the season. If you attend these games, email me and let me know what the crowds and enthusiasm level are like.

jalexander@scng.com

Here are a few of the potential candidates for the Lakers鈥� vacant head coaching position:

David Adelman, Denver Nuggets assistant coach

Adelman, the son of Hall of Famer Rick Adelman, is the lead assistant coach for the defending NBA champions and has been on Coach Michael Malone鈥檚 staff since the 2017-18 season.

Adelman, 42, joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as a player development coach in 2011-12 under his father for his first NBA job after previously coaching in the high school ranks.

He was a Timberwolves assistant for his final three seasons in Minnesota before becoming an assistant on Frank Vogel鈥檚 Orlando Magic staff for a season (2016-17) before moving to Denver.

Adelman received a significant endorsement to be an NBA head coach last season after serving as the Nuggets鈥� acting head coach in a Jan. 17, 2023 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in which Malone was sidelined because of the league鈥檚 health and safety protocols.

鈥淚 really think that [Adelman’s] a guy who鈥檚 gonna be next head coach because he has that, I鈥檓 gonna say 鈥榟ead鈥� for a head coach,鈥� Nuggets star Nikola Jokic said, according to the Denver Post. 鈥�… He knows the answers. He reads, reacts.鈥�

Kenny Atkinson, Golden State Warriors assistant coach and former Brooklyn Nets head coach

Atkinson was the Nets鈥� head coach from 2016-20, with Brooklyn improving its record by at least eight wins twice with Atkinson at the helm.

Atkinson, who is considered one of the league鈥檚 top assistant coaches, has spent the past three seasons as an assistant under Warriors coach Steve Kerr, helping guide the team that won the 2022 NBA title.

Before joining the Warriors, Atkinson, 56, spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant under Tyronn Lue with the Clippers.

Atkinson has also been an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks (2012-16) and the New York Knicks (2008-12) after spending one season as the director of player development for the Houston Rockets (2007-08).

Atkinson was expected to become the Charlotte Hornets head coach during the 2022 offseason, but he decided to remain with the Warriors.

Mike Budenholzer, former Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks head coach

Budenholzer might be the most accomplished coach available to the Lakers in this cycle: he won a championship at the helm of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

The two-time NBA Coach of the Year (2014-15, 2018-19) has a regular-season head coaching record of 484-317 and a 56-48 mark in the playoffs.

Teams led by Budenholzer reached the playoffs in nine out of 10 seasons, made it to at least the second round six times, made the conference finals three times and made it to the NBA Finals once.

Budenholzer, 54, was the head coach for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-18 and the Bucks coach from 2018-23 after working under San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich for 17 years (1996-2013), where he won four NBA titles (1999, 2003, 鈥�05, 鈥�07) as an assistant coach.

Notably, Ham was an assistant coach under Budenholzer with the Hawks and Bucks from 2013-22.

Ty Lue, Clippers head coach

It鈥檚 unclear if Lue will be available for the Lakers.

Especially with ESPN鈥檚 Adrian Wojnarowski reporting on Friday that the Clippers are planning to pursue a contract extension with Lue, whose final year of his current contract is for the 2025-2026 season.

But If Lue somehow becomes available or doesn鈥檛 reach an extension with the Clippers, the Lakers would be expected to have interest in the 47-year-old.

Lue notably won an NBA title as the Cleveland Cavaliers鈥� head coach in 2016 鈥� a team starring LeBron James. Those Lue-led Cavaliers teams also reached the NBA Finals in 鈥�17 and 鈥�18 before falling to the Warriors. The Lue-led Clippers also reached the Western Conference finals in 2021.

Lue has a 312-217 regular-season record as a head coach and a 54-36 record in the playoffs going into the Clippers鈥� Game 6 matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. Lue-led teams have made the playoffs in six of seven full seasons he鈥檚 coached and had a winning record all seven seasons.

He won two NBA titles with the Lakers as a player in 2000 and 鈥�01.

Notably, Lue was the frontrunner for the Lakers鈥� 2019 offseason coaching search, with Frank Vogel eventually taking the job after Lue turned down the Lakers鈥� offer at the time according to ESPN. Lue has also been an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics (2011-13), Clippers (2013-14, 2019-2020) and Cavaliers (2014-15).

Charles Lee, Boston Celtics assistant coach

Lee, who The Athletic reported is an option for the Lakers鈥� coaching job, has been an assistant coach in the NBA for a decade.

He was an assistant on Budenholzer鈥檚 staff in Atlanta (2014-18) and Milwaukee (2018-23) before joining the Celtics last offseason as Joe Mazzulla鈥檚 lead assistant.

Lee was also the lead assistant under Budenholzer during his final season with the Bucks (2022-23).

Like Adelman, Lee has been part of multiple recent interview cycles for head-coaching positions, including the Hornets鈥� current opening and the Detroit Pistons鈥� and Toronto Raptors鈥� openings last offseason, according to ESPN.

JJ Redick, ESPN analyst/broadcaster

Redick, who played in the NBA for 15 seasons and retired in 2021, doesn鈥檛 have any professional coaching experience.

But he鈥檚 been interviewed for multiple head-coaching vacancies recently: and the .

Redick became an analyst/broadcaster for ESPN immediately after retirement and has hosted a podcast since 2016, including, 鈥淭he Old Man and the Three鈥� which is part of the ThreeFourTwo Productions company he co-founded.

Notably, Reddick has also been co-hosting a podcast, 鈥淢ind the Game鈥� with James since March.

But the shame shouldn鈥檛 lie so much in , made official with a one-paragraph statement by vice president/GM Rob Pelinka at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, as it is in the process that reached this point. The view here is that Ham was undermined internally, and the torrent of anonymously sourced complaints about his strategy and personnel usage and command of the locker room appeared carefully calibrated as soon as the Lakers in the first-round playoff series that .

I don鈥檛 know who those sources were, and if I did I wouldn鈥檛 reveal them anyway, since it is a sacred rule of what we do as journalists that you don鈥檛 burn a source after agreeing to anonymity. But from the outside of that reporting process, I suspect a good share of the complaints originated from two places 鈥� the front office, i.e. Pelinka in an effort to deflect blame, and/or LeBron James and his agent, Rich Paul.

Pelinka, who had been a player agent before he was hired as Lakers general manager in 2017, inherited Luke Walton as his coach, fired him after three seasons and hired Frank Vogel in 2019, fired Vogel 鈥� who had delivered the team鈥檚 17th championship in the 2020 COVID bubble 鈥� in 2022 after three seasons, and now has axed Ham after two.

James has played for three coaches since joining the Lakers in 2018, and 鈥� assuming he picks up his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season 鈥� would be playing for his fourth coach as a Laker and his ninth coach overall in 22 NBA seasons. (The last time in his career James seemed to have less than maximum leverage was in his four seasons in Miami, with Erik Spoelstra as the coach and team president Pat Riley possessing power equal to or greater than that of his best player. That鈥檚 unusual in the NBA.)

Make no mistake. LeBron is seldom shy about using his leverage. The hourglass emoji he posted on social media after a midseason loss to Atlanta dropped the Lakers to 25-25 was a passive-aggressive reminder that time was slipping away. ( by saying, 鈥淚 would鈥檝e put out two or three hourglass emojis by now,鈥� after which on the Platform Formerly Known As Twitter: 鈥淓xcept the hourglass was for you, Darvin. Read the room.鈥�)

Similarly, following Monday night鈥檚 season-ending loss in Denver, James was asked if he had given any thought to that being his last game as a Laker, and he answered: 鈥淯m, I鈥檓 not going to answer that … appreciate it,鈥� followed by a mic drop. That could be honest uncertainty or an unwillingness to commit immediately following a season-ending loss … or it could have been one more message in the direction of Pelinka and the rest of the front office.

Much of the Lakers鈥� fan base likely celebrated Friday morning鈥檚 news. Ham was booed by some fans 鈥� though not a majority 鈥� during introductions before each of the Lakers鈥� home playoff games against Denver, but the 鈥淔ire Darvin Ham鈥� chants at the tail end of were hard to miss.

The viral video of D鈥橝ngelo Russell during Game 3, or that 鈥�(w)e have stretches where we just don鈥檛 know what we鈥檙e doing on both ends of the floor鈥� … those also fed the portrayal of a team in disarray or at least one that had stopped paying attention to or trusting its head coach. Only after the fact did the player gripes come out about how Russell and Austin Reaves were coming off the bench at midseason, how rotations were unsettled (injuries did play a part), and how Ham was slow to make in-game adjustments.

(The blown leads in the Denver series 鈥� seemed to be vivid evidence of Ham鈥檚 failure to adjust.)

As Ham is likely going to be a far better head coach strategically a few years down the road. It was his misfortune, I guess, that his first opportunity was with a franchise and fan base that demand nothing less than competing for championships. This is the downside of Laker Exceptionalism: There is no patience and no time to ease into the job, especially when the greatest scorer in NBA history is on your roster at the back end of his career.

There鈥檚 an adage 鈥� I believe Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban came up with it 鈥� that fits this situation: If you鈥檙e going to fire someone, you鈥檇 better have a replacement in place, or at least in mind.

Does Pelinka have a guy, or a plan?

One popular notion among the fan base seems to be trying to steal Ty Lue from the Clippers, and never mind that the Lakers had their shot at Lue before hiring Vogel in 2019, but those talks broke down Lue said no thanks.

Then there鈥檚 His main qualification, beyond 15 seasons as a player? He does a podcast with LeBron. Seriously. So to replace a guy who had zero head coaching experience but at least had been a high-level assistant, you鈥檇 hire a guy whose only coaching experience is with fourth-graders? Why not just make LeBron player-coach?

As has often been the case with the Lakers over the last decade-plus, there鈥檚 been little to no accountability from the front office, from controlling owner/governor Jeanie Buss on down. Pelinka made the decision to run it back with most of the same faces that got the Lakers to the conference finals last season, but misfired with some additions to that core and did little to shore up the roster before the trade deadline.

Also, the pick of Jalen Hood-Schifino at No. 17 in June鈥檚 draft becomes even more of a failure when you consider the two guys drafted behind him: Jaime Jaquez Jr. by Miami and Brandin Podziemski by Golden State, both of whom were far more significant to their teams as rookies.

So we go back to the premise above: If you鈥檙e going to get rid of someone, you鈥檇 better have a replacement in mind.

And Bob Myers, former Golden State Warriors general manager (i.e., architect of championship teams), is available. Hint?

jalexander@scng.com

Ham led the team to the playoffs each season, but that鈥檚 not enough with an organization focused on championships. With little time left to capitalize on the concurrent presence of Anthony Davis and 39-year-old LeBron James 鈥� who hasn鈥檛 decided whether to return for his 22nd NBA season 鈥� the Lakers are resetting their coaching staff once again.

鈥淲e greatly appreciate Darvin鈥檚 efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year鈥檚 remarkable run to the Western Conference finals,鈥� Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. 鈥淲e all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season.

鈥淭his organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.鈥�

Rumors of Ham鈥檚 declining job security had been circulating for months, with his dismissal expected since the Lakers鈥� season ended with their in a first-round playoff series Monday night at Ball Arena. The Lakers led the defending champion Nuggets for long stretches of that series, but Nikola Jokic and his teammates eventually rolled into the second round with a series of comeback wins.

Ham finished his Lakers tenure with a 90-74 regular-season record and a 9-12 playoff record, with the Lakers making the postseason in both seasons. Ham replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers exactly 18 months after winning the franchise鈥檚 17th championship in 2020.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a hell of a two years, I鈥檒l tell you that,鈥� Ham said after Monday鈥檚 defeat. 鈥淪itting in this seat, it鈥檚 been a hell of a two years.鈥�

After a surprise run to the conference finals during Ham鈥檚 first year as head coach to close out their 2022-23 season 鈥� which started with the Lakers opening the season 2-10 before a significant roster overhaul ahead of the trade deadline, moves that helped fuel a late-season push before being swept out of the playoffs by the Nuggets 鈥� the Lakers had an up-and-down 2023-24.

It began with a slow start following an opening-night loss to the Nuggets, with the Lakers falling to 3-5 after dropping three consecutive early November games. The Lakers鈥� early-season struggles led to Ham benching Austin Reaves for Cam Reddish on Nov. 10 with the hopes the move would improve the defense and provide better balance.

The Lakers won 11 of their next 15 games, not including the Dec. 9 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the inaugural In-Season Tournament championship game. The monthlong stretch of strong play momentarily catapulted the Lakers to fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

Lakers Part Ways With Head Coach Darvin Ham

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers)

But the good feelings quickly soured as the Lakers鈥� performances dipped.

The Lakers lost 10 of their 13 games immediately after the In-Season Tournament, including a pair of four-game losing streaks, dropping them to 17-19.

During this slide, The Athletic reported there was a 鈥渄eepening disconnect鈥� between Ham and the Lakers鈥� locker room with issues related to the rotation, starting lineup changes and inconsistent roles.

鈥淚t comes with the territory,鈥� Ham said at the time. 鈥淚鈥檓 solid. My governor, Jeanie Buss, the boss lady; our president [of basketball operations] Robert Pelinka 鈥� we鈥檙e all aligned. As long as they鈥檙e not saying it, I guess I鈥檓 good. I know how they feel about me and the situation we鈥檙e currently in. So, we鈥檙e all on the same page.鈥�

In addition to benching Reaves, who became a full-time starter again in early January, Ham also moved D鈥橝ngelo Russell to a reserve role after Russell鈥檚 rough play in early-to-mid December 鈥� a stretch in which the Lakers dropped five of six games.

The Lakers used six different starting lineups during the aforementioned 13-game slide, in part because of injuries but also because Ham was searching for the right groups to stop the Lakers鈥� skid. Two of those starting lineups included having Reaves and Russell come off the bench in favor of wing-led groups 鈥� James, Taurean Prince, Jarred Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish or Rui Hachimura 鈥� next to Davis. Russell regained his starting spot in mid-January and later set the franchise鈥檚 single-season record for 3-point baskets.

The Lakers recovered and eventually settled on a starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James and Davis, taking advantage of the continuity that the group built during the end of the 2022-23 season.

The move paid off, with the Lakers going 18-6 in regular-season games that five-man group started and the team winning 22 of its final 32 games.

The Lakers finished the regular season 47-35 for eighth place in the West before beating the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament to become the No.聽7 seed, setting up a playoff rematch with the Nuggets, a series they eventually lost in five games.

But the Lakers finishing the regular season strong, and eventually competing against the defending NBA champions in the playoffs, wasn鈥檛 enough for Ham to keep the job going into the 2024-25 season.

Throughout the season, Ham often pointed to injuries as a reason for the Lakers鈥� struggles. He did again Monday.

鈥淵ou take a lot of flak for your rotations and all of that, but rotations are secondary 鈥� the primary is health,鈥� Ham said. 鈥淎nd when you start the season off without key pieces, and you lose some key pieces early, they come back and you lose some more key pieces. A couple [of] guys have been out two, three, four times during the course of the year, it鈥檚 hard to build that continuity.

鈥淵ou have all these talented players all along your roster, but to have a set nine, 10 guys, and you lose one, that鈥檚 one thing. But to have two, three, four guys missing different points at times, it鈥檚 tough. And all the while, trying to manage a guy that鈥檚 in this 21st season, another guy in A.D., it鈥檚 in his 12th, all the previous injury history he鈥檚 been through. Health is the greatest of wealth. And that鈥檚 pretty much it. You got healthy players, you can figure the rest out.鈥�

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, a starter during last season鈥檚 run, missed 53 regular-season games due to injuries, including 20 to start the season and 32 to end it.

Guard Gabe Vincent, one of the Lakers鈥� main free-agent signings, played in only 11 regular-season games because of left knee ailments.

Forward/center Christian Wood didn鈥檛 play after the All-Star break because of left knee ailments. Hachimura also missed 14 games.

At the same time, James (71), Davis (76), Russell (76) and Reaves (82) were as healthy and available as the Lakers could have hoped. James鈥� games played were his most in his six seasons with the Lakers, while Reaves鈥� and Davis鈥� were career highs.

Other issues outside of health were present, leaving lingering 鈥渨hat-if鈥� questions following the Lakers鈥� 2023-24 season.

What if the Lakers started Hachimura alongside Russell, Reaves, James and Davis earlier in the season? Or leaned more into the continuity that the Lakers prioritized with last summer鈥檚 roster moves? Would they have been able to squeak out a few more wins and have possibly ended the season higher in the standings, avoiding a first-round matchup against the Nuggets?

Players also privately grumbled about schemes and preparation for opponents.

The Lakers turned their season around with a strong second half, but not in time for the result to be different than last year 鈥� falling to the Nuggets in the playoffs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough, you know, the completion of my second year in this seat,鈥� Ham said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot. But it is what it is, man. I鈥檓 not going to feel sorry for myself or ourselves. It鈥檚 an unbelievable franchise to represent. Couldn鈥檛 ask for a better governor, better president of the ops in Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss.

鈥淏ut I鈥檝e seen a lot in my first two years in this seat. So I continue to work and get better, and control what I can control.鈥�

The Lakers only went 43-39 in their first season under Ham in 2022-23, but they capitalized on more favorable playoff matchups. After beating Minnesota in a play-in game, they won playoff series against an injury-plagued Memphis team and exploited their sizer advantage over Golden State to reach the conference finals.

James, Davis and the Lakers have failed to win a playoff round in three of their four seasons since winning the 2020 championship in the Florida bubble.

Ham had two years left on his contract with the Lakers, who will be hiring their fourth head coach since James arrived in 2018. The new coach will be the Lakers鈥� eighth in 14 seasons since Hall of Famer Phil Jackson鈥檚 departure in 2011.

James has a $51.4 million player option for next season, and his decision hangs over every offseason move for the Lakers, who internally expect him to return.

Pelinka then must determine whether he can make the long-anticipated move for a third superstar through trades, or whether he believes the assertions by Hachimura and other role players that the Lakers can become a contender with more continuity.

Russell has an $18.7 million player option after the sharpshooting guard excelled in the regular season and flopped in the playoffs, infamously going scoreless in the Game 3 loss to Denver. After the Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs on Monday, the point guard said he has 鈥渁 little leverage. I鈥檒l try to take advantage of it.鈥�

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 given it much thought,鈥� James said after the Nuggets eliminated them for the second straight year, this time in five games. 鈥淥bviously at some point I鈥檒l sit down with Rich [Paul], my agent, I鈥檒l sit down with my family and we鈥檒l see what鈥檚 best, what鈥檚 best for my career.

鈥淪o we鈥檒l cross that when we need to.鈥�

The 39-year-old James was less than an hour removed from wrapping up his unprecedented 21st NBA season when tasked with addressing his future, with the four-time league MVP averaging 25.7 points on 54% shooting (career-high 41% on 3-pointers) to go with 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds.

But the Lakers ultimately fell short of their goal of winning the NBA championship, raising questions about what James will do with his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season.

When directly asked if he gave any thought to the idea that Monday was possibly his last game in a Lakers uniform, James evaded the question.

鈥淯mmm, I鈥檓 not going to answer that,鈥� James responded while grinning. 鈥淚 appreciate it.鈥�

James is one of many significant members of the 2023-24 Lakers with an uncertain future.

After an up-and-down season, Coach Darvin Ham鈥檚 status with the organization is reportedly up in the air, with and reporting that his job is in jeopardy. Ham has two seasons left on the four-year contract he signed in 2022.

The Athletic, citing unnamed sources, reported that Ham is unlikely to return.

鈥淢y mind鈥檚 all over the place right now,鈥� Ham said after Monday鈥檚 loss. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a hell of a two years, I鈥檒l tell you that. Sitting in this seat, it鈥檚 been a hell of a two years.

鈥淐ontrol what I can control, continue to grow, and hopefully be a better coach for it.鈥�

UNDELIVERED OPTIMISM

The Lakers came into 2023-24 with loftier goals than being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

After a surprise run to last year鈥檚 Western Conference finals, during which they were swept by the Nuggets, the Lakers prioritized continuity and brought back the core of the roster, optimistic they had enough to contend.

鈥淥ur theme was continuity,鈥� Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said, 鈥渁nd bringing our group back that was a Western Conference finals team and trying to improve around the edges.鈥�

But the Lakers stumbled out of the gates following an opening-night loss to the Nuggets, falling to 3-5 after dropping three consecutive early November games. Ham responded by benching Austin Reaves, who was going through early-season struggles, for Cam Reddish on Nov. 10 with the hopes the move would improve the defense and provide better balance.

The Lakers went 11-4 in their next 15 games, not including their Dec. 9 win over the Indiana Pacers in the inaugural In-Season Tournament championship game. The month-long stretch of strong play momentarily catapulted the Lakers to fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

But the good feelings quickly soured as their performances dipped.

They lost 10 of their 13 games immediately after the In-Season Tournament, including a pair of four-game losing streaks, dropping them to 17-19. During this slide, The Athletic reported there was a 鈥渄eepening disconnect鈥� between Ham and the Lakers鈥� locker room with issues related to the rotation, starting lineup changes and inconsistent roles.

鈥淚t comes with the territory,鈥� Ham said at the time. 鈥淚鈥檓 solid. My governor, Jeanie Buss, the boss lady; our president Robert Pelinka 鈥� we鈥檙e all aligned. As long as they鈥檙e not saying it, I guess I鈥檓 good. I know how they feel about me and the situation we鈥檙e currently in. So, we鈥檙e all on the same page.鈥�

In addition to benching Reaves, who became a full-time starter again in early January, Ham also moved guard D鈥橝ngelo Russell to a reserve role after Russell鈥檚 rough play in early-to-mid December 鈥� a stretch in which the Lakers dropped five of six games.

The Lakers used six different starting lineups during the aforementioned 13-game slide, in part because of injuries but also because Ham was searching for the right groups to stop the Lakers鈥� skid. Two of those starting lineups included having Reaves and Russell come off the bench in favor of wing-led groups 鈥� James, Taurean Prince, Jarred Vanderbilt and Reddish or Rui Hachimura 鈥� next to Anthony Davis. Russell regained his starting spot in mid-January.

The Lakers鈥� 7-8 January put them at 24-25 after back-to-back road losses to the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks, with .

But the Lakers eventually settled on a starting lineup of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James and Davis, taking advantage of the continuity that the group built during the end of the 2022-23 season. The move paid off, with the Lakers going 18-6 in regular-season games that five-man group started and the Lakers winning 22 of their final 32 games.

鈥淭hroughout the season we got better, even with all the injuries or whatnot that kind of set us back,鈥� Russell said. 鈥淕uys came alive, if it was AR, obviously Bron and A.D. do their thing. Myself. Guys had spurts throughout the season that kind of gave us energy, gave us a new light, gave us some positive reinforcement whenever we were down.

鈥淎s far if we鈥檒l be better the longer we鈥檙e together 鈥� next year, the year following 鈥� that鈥檚 something, you know, you gotta have a core group of guys, core coach. When you practice continuity and things like that from Day 1, I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 just something you just throw a group of guys together and figure it out.鈥�

The Lakers finished the regular season 47-35 for eighth place in the West before , setting up a playoff rematch with the Nuggets, a first-round series that left them starting their offseason earlier than they鈥檇 hoped.

鈥淚鈥檓 not a participation guy,鈥� James responded when asked whether how the season ended instilled any further confidence in this group if it sticks together. 鈥淲e lost. And we move on and we can be better but our season has been derailed all season with just injuries and guys in and out. And I talked about it all year: it鈥檚 hard to say who we are and what we can be because we have yet to be whole.鈥�

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, a starter for last season鈥檚 run, missed 53 regular-season games due to injuries, including 20 to start the season and 32 to end it.

Gabe Vincent, one of the Lakers鈥� main free agent signings, only played in 11 regular-season games because of left knee ailments. Christian Wood didn鈥檛 play after the All-Star break because of left knee ailments. Hachimura also missed 14 games.

But the Lakers didn鈥檛 take advantage of their four best players 鈥� James (71), Davis (76), Russell (76) and Reaves (82) 鈥� being as healthy and available as anyone could have hoped for. James鈥� games played were his most in his six seasons with the Lakers, while Reaves鈥� and Davis鈥� were career highs.

LOOKING AHEAD

Davis, Reaves, Hachimura, Vincent and Vanderbilt have guaranteed contracts for at least the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. This gives the Lakers a semblance of stability, but also players to include in trades if they decide to go that route.

Russell is among the five players, including James, with player options for 2024-25. James, Russell, Reddish, Wood and Jaxson Hayes have until June 29 to make decisions on their player options.

鈥淲hen I signed my contract last year, I knew what position I was going to put myself in,鈥� said Russell, whose option is for $18.7 million. 鈥淪o to be in that position now with a little leverage, I’ll try to take advantage of it.”

Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie will be unrestricted free agents this summer, while Max Christie could be a restricted free agent if the Lakers extend him a qualifying offer.

Davis is hopeful the Lakers will prioritize continuity again this summer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about continuity,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淎 lot of our guys were out of the lineup. We found something towards the end of the season with that lineup. Obviously, some guys in the locker room have decisions to make. But I think the way you continue to compete for championships is kind of keeping the core.

鈥淵ou look at a team like Denver, Boston, Golden State, like all these teams who鈥檝e done unbelievable things. Their core group will stay together and you have a supporting cast around that and not make too many changes. But it鈥檚 different when a lot of guys have a lot of player options and gotta make decisions for them and their families. We鈥檒l see what happens over the course of the summer. But just watching and just knowing from experience, the way you continue to compete for championships is keeping that core group together.鈥�

All eyes are on James and Ham, with the former having a choice to make while the latter waits for the Lakers鈥� brass to make a decision on his future.

James and Davis are guaranteed to be teammates at least one more time .

鈥淲e鈥檝e done something special together,鈥� Davis said of James. 鈥淕ood thing about it, I鈥檓 going to be with him all summer. So I have a lot of conversations and things like that. But he knows how I feel about him.鈥�

Davis added: 鈥淗e has been in this position numerous times in his career, where he had to make a decision ultimately for himself and his family. I鈥檒l be right there supporting whatever he decides to do. Obviously it鈥檚 been a great five seasons with him. If he does decide to come back, obviously this isn鈥檛 what we want to be left at, losing in the first round. If he does, obviously our goal is to come back and be a championship contender, stay healthy and give Laker Nation what they deserve. But he has a decision to make and when that time comes he鈥檒l inform me and inform you guys.鈥�