Reports: Lakers to Dismiss Luke Walton After NBA Season Ends

According to reports, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton will be dismissed at the end of the season.

The season’s start was perhaps the most optimistic for the Lakers and Luke Walton for six years. After not making the playoffs since 2013, the Lakers signed LeBron James. There is only one reason you sign LeBron James; and that is to win.

LeBron has made the playoffs in each of the last 13 seasons.

However, the season has panned out disappointingly. Luke Walton has guided the team to a 30 – 33 record. They now sit 4.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conferences last playoff spot.

It appears that Walton will be the man to pay the price, according to Mark Stein of the New York Times.

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“The prevailing assumption in league coaching circles remains that Walton will almost certainly be dismissed after the season,” wrote Stein on Monday.

Walton may not be entirely to blame for the Lakers’ poor season. The roster is imbalanced due to poor recruitment. Even LeBron has recently questioned his teammates mentality.

At the end of February, James expressed his doubts over the Lakers’ mentality and sense of urgency. At the time, he pointed out the lack of playoff experience on the roster. His arrival was meant to solve that, but it also coincided with his longest ever injury absence of 18 games.

Despite the disappointment, Walton’s career is not likely to stall if he is fired by the Lakers.

Read: LeBron James Beginning to Doubt Lakers?

A highly regarded coach, the Golden State Warriors have been mooted as a possible next destination. He was assistant coach there from 2014 – 2016 and is held in high esteem by head coach Luke Walton.