Former NBA Player Suggests Gregg Popovich To Lakers Coach Trade

Gregg Popovich, Lakers, NBA Rumors
NBA Analysis Network

After a play-in loss to the Pelicans, the season concluded short of the playoffs for San Antonio Spurs legendary head coach Gregg Popovich. Now, there are questions about his future in the NBA. Could he actually end up becoming the new head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers?

Popovich managed to coach the San Antonio Spurs to 22 straight postseasons and five NBA titles from 1997-2019. With the play-in loss, the Spurs have been absent from the postseason all three seasons since the streak ended.

One former NBA player suggested that a change of scenery could benefit Popovich, who holds the all-time NBA record for wins.

Former NBA player and current ESPN NBA Analyst Kendrick Perkins offered the suggestion on Twitter last week. Perkins pondered the possibility of a trade between San Antonio and the Lakers for the future Hall-of-Fame coach.

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One issue is that the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t explicitly allow a coach trade. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern blocked an attempted 2013 coach trade for Doc Rivers between the Celtics and Clippers. Stern commented, “The teams are aware that the collective bargaining agreement doesn’t authorize trades involving coaches’ contracts.”

What did happen though, was Los Angeles was permitted to surrender a pick to Boston. In exchange, the Celtics released Rivers from his contract so that he was free to sign with LA. The teams did not swap any players in the deal, but it is possible to include them in theory. The key is that the termination of the coach’s contract must be a separate transaction.

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With that in mind, it’s clear that Popovich would need to be willing to join the Lakers if such a transaction were to work out. Popovich is currently the President of the San Antonio Spurs in addition to being the head coach, so a role in LA would likely involve a step back in control of the team.

As the Lakers look to shake up their team this NBA offseason, look for them to check in on coach Gregg Popovich as a potential option. Though the veteran coach has not confirmed whether he will continue coaching next season, it’s still a potential option for the Lakers.

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