Byron Scott still has a year remaining on his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, but that isn’t stopping the team from exploring other options.
According to basketball reporter Jordan Schultz, the Lakers are planning to pursue Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau.
It is basically a foregone conclusion that Thibodeau will not be coaching in Chicago next season, but the Bulls are still trying to get compensation for him rather than releasing him from his contract. Should the Lakers hire Thibodeau, they would end up paying four head coaches next season.
The New Orleans Pelicans and Orland Magic are also said to be interested in Thibodeau.
As Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk notes, LA’s reported interested in Thibodeau could have been leaked from anywhere. The most likely scenario, in my opinion, is that the Bulls are looking to spark a bidding war. However, Kobe Bryant has indicated in the past that he would like to play for Thibodeau.
Frankly, I don’t see the Lakers making any moves strictly to please Kobe, who made a great joke after his team earned the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft earlier this week. Bryant is 36 and has not been able to stay healthy in recent years. He probably isn’t in the Lakers’ long-term future.
