Former Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, who was an almost impossible 100 games under .500 (32-132) in two seasons here working alongside GM David Kahn, is reportedly exerting quite a bit of control over the Lakers' coaching hire.
Los Angeles was closing in on a deal to hire Tyronn Lue — Lue won a championship in Cleveland with LeBron James, making this a natural reunion — but things fell apart Wednesday. ESPN's reporting suggests Rambis played a major role as a Lakers adviser. Per the report, Rambis has "assumed an increasingly powerful voice in basketball operations and has played a central role in the coaching search. … His wife, Linda, works closely with team owner Jeanie Buss."
There are other factors in play, including the fact that Lue is still owed $10 million by Cleveland and therefore needs a substantial contract from the Lakers to see any financial benefit. But yeah, good luck to the Lakers.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
