The Los Angeles Lakers don't have all that much to play for in the second half of the season, as they seem like a near lock to have a top three pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The one thing the Lakers can focus on in the remaining games is developing the young players. That has been something that head coach Byron Scott has been criticized for most this year, and because of it his job is on the line. The Lakers are torn on whether to keep Scott beyond this year, though, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers came into this season with likely unwarranted expectations of competing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Instead the Lakers have the worst record in the West, and naturally that puts the head coach on the chopping block. The Lakers have said that Scott will, at the very least, finish out this year as the head coach.
Members of the Lakers organization realize that Scott was put in a near impossible situation this year with Kobe Bryant's farewell tour and an extremely young nucleus, but they still want to see better results. The franchise is reportedly torn on Scott's future beyond this year because some want to see what Scott can do with a more talented roster, which it expects to have next season.
On the other hand, some in the organization have not been happy with his tough love approach to young players, specifically D'Angelo Russell. Scott has been criticized in the media for his handling of Russell all season, and because of that some people see the signs pointing to Scott being out at season's end, according to Harrison Faigen of SB Nation.
Scott is in the second year of a four-year, $17 million contract he signed with the Lakers. The fourth year of that contract is not guaranteed, but next season is, so that could work in his favor. On the flip side, the Lakers have shown in the past that they don't mind firing coaches whom they owe money to if they believe their message is not being heard.
Scott's future with the Lakers, aside from Bryant's final games, will probably be the biggest Lakers storyline from here on out. Many people think there is no question he should be fired, like Zach Lowe of ESPN for example, but some in the organization want to see him with a more talented team. The Lakers are expected to have about $55 million in cap space this summer, so they should be able to add more talent. That could end up being Scott's saving grace.
