The LA Lakers fail to advance beyond the play-in round or lose early in the postseason, though, Vogel's fate appears to be sealed.
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Frank Vogel has been on the hot seat for months. The LA Lakers reportedly came close to firing him earlier in the season after a blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets, but ultimately held off sensing that an in-season change would do little good. Should the Lakers fail to advance beyond the play-in round or lose early in the postseason, though, Vogel’s fate appears to be sealed. It is likely only a matter of time before the Lakers make a change, and according to Marc Stein, one name is already being floated as a possible replacement: Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder.
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The Lakers would have their work cut out for them in pursuing Snyder. The Jazz coach is under coach beyond this season, so Utah would not have to let him leave. Even if they did, the Spurs are also a rumored destination for Snyder, who has coached the Jazz to a 58.3 winning percentage since 2014. Snyder has worked for both the Spurs and Lakers in the past.
According to Stein, the Jazz have been unsuccessful in their attempts to extend Snyder’s contract. The veteran coach has lost before the conference finals in the past five postseasons, and if the Jazz bow out early yet again, they might be more open to a change. Right now, Utah is slated to earn the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and face the red-hot Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
Though the Lakers have made a number of financially motivated decisions that have played out poorly on the basketball court this season, they have the resources to make Snyder a very compelling offer if he is available. The chance to coach LeBron James and Anthony Davis would also likely appeal to Snyder.
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Of course, none of this matters if the Jazz are unwilling to let Snyder go. Whether or not they are willing to do so remains unclear. The GM who hired Snyder, Dennis Lindsey, left the organization during the offseason in part because of reported issues with their relationship. New team owner Ryan Smith hired former Celtics president Danny Ainge as the team’s CEO, and new executives often prefer to hire their own coaches.
Snyder is the rare case of a coach who is so desirable that a new GM might make an exception. It will likely depend on how the Jazz perform this offseason. If they finally make the championship push they’ve spent years building toward, Snyder won’t go anywhere. But if more disappointment comes, both sides will likely keep an open mind about a split. If they do, the Lakers should be at the front of the line when Snyder becomes available.
