Report: LeBron's camp prefers coaching change
Luke Walton's job security has been a polarizing topic throughout the season and it appears people close to LeBron James want the Los Angeles Lakers head coach out.
"It's clear to me, and probably to you, Brian, that LeBron's camp would prefer a coaching change - they're not too subtle about that." said ESPN's Jackie MacMullan on Friday's edition of the "Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective" podcast. "Not LeBron, but all the people around LeBron. There's plenty of them and they've made it known. I don't think this is a shock, is it?"
MacMullan also discussed reported differences of opinion between the Lakers' ownership and front office concerning Walton.
"There's a lot of tension in that building," she said. "I think people are wondering about Luke Walton, even though (owner and president) Jeanie Buss came out very strongly and said, 'I want Luke to be here, I back him 100 percent,' but then also made the point that has to be made - and that is that she hired Earvin 'Magic' Johnson to make these decisions.
"And if Earvin feels differently, she gave him the power to make those kinds of decisions."
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in December that Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka have been looking to bring in their own coach because Walton didn't fit their mold.
"If they're going to go to Jeanie Buss and be able to sell her on replacing Luke Walton, they better be trying to do it off a season when they miss the playoffs or off a long losing streak because she has been fiercely loyal to Luke Walton," Wojnarowski said. "That was her hire in every way, and so far she has kept management off of him. They've allowed Magic and Rob Pelinka to change everything there - they haven't been able to touch Luke Walton."
Los Angeles is currently mired in a three-game losing skid and has dropped 10 of its past 15 contests.
The 25-24 Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference and sit 1.5 games back of the final playoff spot entering Friday's play.