With Tyronn Lue no longer being an option for the Lakers, they're being forced to dig deep in their coaching search. Frank Vogel is reportedly on the table, while Kurt Rambis has apparently become a big player in the search. They're now reportedly interviewing former Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who started as the interim coach in Memphis, according to The L.A. Times' Brad Turner.
Bickerstaff is 81-135 as a head coach, and he took over for the Grizzlies in 2017 when David Fizdale was fired. Last offseason, he was named the head coach, before going 22-60, the second worst record in the Western Conference.
It's been an ugly search for the Lakers in the wake of them parting ways with Luke Walton, who quickly signed on with the Sacramento Kings, while the Lakers' search pointed them in the direction of Lue. While the former Cavs head coach and the Lakers seemed like an inevitability, it ultimately fell through earlier in the week. Since then, the Lakers have redirected their efforts elsewhere. The organization is in a fragile state, with Magic Johnson stepping down suddenly prior to the last game of the regular season. That makes them a risky destination for new coaching hires.
Bickerstaff's only head coaching experience outside of Memphis has been with the Rockets, when he took over as an interim when Kevin McHale was fired in 2015. The Rockets had a first-round exit in the 2016 playoffs and he left to become an associate with the Grizzlies.
