Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse quickly eliminated any thought of him being a possible candidate to take over the vacant head coaching position of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nick Nurse on reports of the Lakers' interest in him: "I don't know where that stuff comes from and I'm focused on coaching this team."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 2, 2022
The Lakers’ job has remained open since Frank Vogel was fired after the team failed to reach the playoffs.
Nurse would be a strong candidate to take over any team in the NBA based on his resume as head coach of the Raptors. He’s coached the team for the past four seasons and compiled a regular season record of 186-122.
During the 54-year-old Nurse’s first season as Raptors head coach in the 2018-19 campaign, he led the team to the franchise’s first and only NBA title.
Nurse and the Raptors did struggle during the 2020-21 campaign, when the team was unable to play any home games in Canada due to COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, injuries had a major effect on the team, which finished with a 27-45 mark and failed to reach the postseason.
This season, Nurse led the Raptors to a 48-34 record. However, the Raptors ended up losing their first-round playoff series to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.
While the Lakers may actually have interest in talking to Nurse, his quick dismissal of that prospect means that their pursuit of a new head coach continues.
A number of different names have already been offered as potential candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job. It’s a position that will certainly guarantee whoever gets hired prominent presence and intense pressure.
The Lakers haven’t given an indication exactly when they’ll make a final decision on their next coach, but it’s clear that it won’t be Nurse.
