Former Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens stepped away from the sidelines and occupied the general manager's chair this past offseason. Stevens, who led Boston to playoff appearances in seven of his eight seasons as the head coach, had plenty of experience pacing the sidelines but none as an executive. Fast forward to the end of the season and the Celtics have thrived under the roster created by Stevens and the leadership of head coach Ime Udoka.
The same cannot be said for the Los Angeles Lakers, whose star-studded roster underachieved on Frank Vogel's watch, costing him his job. With LeBron James, who isn't getting any younger, and a roster with question marks behind him, the Lakers clearly have an urgency to win now. It's no wonder then, that Stevens would be considered a sensible option as the Lakers' head coach. The Celtics general manager was asked about Los Angeles' head coaching vacancy during an appearance on the Toucher and Rich radio show- and he provided a blunt response to the question.
Things we learned from Brad Stevens today:
– He emphatically stated that he would not consider the open Lakers coaching position.
– Robert Williams 4 to 6 week timeline remains same.
– Denies Stephen A's report that someone w Celtics is disappointed they didn't avoid Brooklyn— Toucher and Rich (@Toucherandrich) April 14, 2022
Stevens “emphatically stated” that he would not consider the Lakers' head coaching job with Vogel now out of the picture. For one thing, Stevens, who clearly wanted a break from coaching, may not want to return to the sidelines anytime soon, especially given his success as an executive for the Celtics.
For another, Stevens may not want to be the Lakers head coach for reasons that have to do with Vogel, per Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Mannix. As Mannix states, Stevens and Vogel are “very close.”
The Celtics executive saw how Vogel was treated by the Lakers- and likely wants no parts of that situation. Never say never, but don't expect Stevens to be tied to Los Angeles.
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