The Lakers' fortunes aren't looking good, and rumors abound. Los Angeles is coming to an end of a season to forget, in which the team didn't even make it to the play-in round, let alone the playoffs… that is difficult to believe from a roster that cost over $200 million, not including the luxury tax of 45 million dollars. They are now without a coach (Frank Vogel was fired at the end of the season), and some of their best players' futures are uncertain. But one individual is ready to change things and find solutions so that the club with the most rings (17, tied with the Boston Celtics) may return to their rightful place.
Phil Jackson, a former NBA coach, is well-versed in the organization. He helped deliver five of the Lakers' last six championship rings, with two as a player and 11 as a coach (the last one, with Frank Vogel still at the helm, in the 2020 bubble in Orlando). Jackson has played a key role behind the scenes as a coaching advisor with a mysterious presence and effect over the players. As the Lakers constructed a narrative that has never been equaled in the best basketball league in the world over the previous 30 years, he also had tight working relationships with Michael Jordan and later with Kobe Bryant.With the Lakers, Jackson continues to wield considerable power. He had a long-term relationship with Jeanie Buss, who is currently the franchise's main shareholder after her brother Jim resigned as co-trustee. Buss still consults with a group of advisers, and their input is more important than ever in the current crisis. Kurt Rambis and his wife Linda, as well as General Manager Rob Pelinka, are among the other advisors. A strange group that has made both good and disastrous judgments based on the team's performance.Phil Jackson is open to making changes to the roster, according to veteran journalist Bill Plaschke, who recently interviewed Jeanie Buss. According to NBA Central, the 76-year-old ex-coach would be willing to deal LeBron James in order to help the Lakers' finances, allowing them to keep Russell Westbrook and build a short-term project around him. Westbrook has been subjected to regular fan harassment, while the Lakers had planned to offer LeBron (who will turn 38 in December) a two-year extension. We'll see how it all plays out.
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