NBA Rumors: LeBron Camp Helping Lure 2 Big Name Coaches To Lakers Fold

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to name their next head coach, although all points sign to Tyronn Lue as likely to take over from the post vacated by Luke Walton. Should that happen, it remains to be seen who Lue will name as his assistant coaches although the Lakers already have a couple of big names in mind.

The two names being mentioned right now are Tom Thibodeau and Frank Vogel. Both have proven their worth as head coaches but have so far faltered since parting with their old ballclubs. Adding the two to the Lakers brain trust would be something although there are some constraints that stand in the way. As mentioned on Yahoo Sports, both are former head coaches so seeing them accept an assistant coaching job may not necessarily appeal.

Straight up, this could be a problem. But the whole landscape could change if LeBron James enters the picture. According to The Athletic, James and Lue are quite interested in adding Thibodeau. Both know that he could be a huge asset on the Lakers bench. If he does agree to become one of Lue's top assistants, it would be similar to the Golden State Warriors. Steve Kerr has Mike Brown and Ron Adams as his assistant coaches with the Dubs.

If Thibodeau rejects it, the focus may shift to Vogel. The 45-year-old coached the Orlando Magic during the 2016 NBA season. However, he was given his walking papers during the 2017-18 NBA season with the Magic, after failing to help mold the team and at least make the NBA playoffs. His best years were when he was still with Indiana. He led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals twice (2012-13 and 2013-14).

One thing going for the Lakers is that they are offering these two coaches an opportunity to reboot their coaching careers. Both have not exactly struck it well with the teams they moved to so working with Lue, James and the Lakers could be an experience that may pay off in the end.

In short, a successful Lakers campaign will only help them gain attention from other teams who could eventually look for a new head coach. Looking ahead, that is a possibility and both Thibodeau and Vogel could do some soul searching and sharpen their knowledge by joining a team where the NBA's best player is playing for.