Cassell, Rivers Among Favorites to be Next Los Angeles Lakers Coach

There will be a new head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers come next season after Frank Vogel was fired Monday.

Vogel went 127-98 with the club, winning the 2020 NBA Championship in six games over the Miami Heat. But he was 42-30 and 33-49 in the two years since, leading to his ultimate dismissal by Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

The list of candidates to be the 27th coach in Lakers history is long and illustrious, with everyone from former Cleveland coach Mike Brown to current Kentucky coach John Calipari in the running.

While the fate of California sports betting will be determined at the ballot box in November, the fate of the Lakers could ride on who’s hired as the next coach.

Here’s a rundown of the frontrunners for the Lakers head coaching job according to Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson.

Los Angeles Lakers 2022-23 Head Coach Odds

Odds are projected by Bookies.com and do not reflect odds that may be available at legal betting sites.

Rivers, Snyder Among Favorites

A pair of current NBA head coaches, along with a couple of retired players, are on the top of Thompson’s odds board for the Lakers.

Atop that list is former Clippers guard and current Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach, Sam Cassell, at +500, followed by his current boss, Doc Rivers (+550).

Also on Thompson’s board are Utah coach Quin Snyder (+550), Golden State Warriors assistant coaches Kenny Atkinson (+850) and Mike Brown (+1000), and current Lakers assistant David Fizdale (+1000).

Further down the list, Thompson includes current Orlando coach Steve Clifford (+1150), former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni (+1250), Michigan coach Juwan Howard (+2000) and Calipari (+2500) — showing the wide range of potential candidates Buss might pull from.

Among the longshots included on Thompson’s board are Toronto coach Nick Nurse (+2500) and Villanova coach Jay Wright (+7500).

While some think star LeBron James already coaches the team — and runs the front office — he’s only +15000 to officially take the job.

Can Lakers Score a Top Candidate?

The Lakers’ ability to land any candidate already employed by another franchise as a head coach could be difficult, costing the team draft picks and other considerations.

Thompson says there’s a non-zero chance Snyder and/or Rivers are fired by their current employers, depending on how far the Jazz and 76ers make it in the NBA Playoffs. That could open the door for the Lakers to swoop in.

The Lakers could always attach draft picks and prospects to trade for the rights to Snyder or Rivers, though that could further hamper the team’s ability to contend in 2022 and beyond.

If Snyder and Rivers are retained by their current teams, that could force Buss to move on and choose a current assistant coach or a recently fired one, which is where Cassell and Atkinson come in.

One way or another, the Lakers will be looking for their eight head coach since 2010 this offseason.