In 2019, Frank Vogel accepted a lowball, three-year offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers.

At the time, the unsexy hiring was widely labeled as a stopgap until LeBron James' USA Basketball teammate, Jason Kidd, took over.

Instead, two years later, Vogel is in line for an early, handsome, and deserving raise (and Kidd is a valued assistant).

On Saturday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers “plan to initiate contract extension talks” with Vogel “once this season’s over.”

The news is noteworthy, not surprising, and a no-brainer.

In 2019-20, Vogel led the Lakers to a 52-19 record, good for the West's No. 1 seed, and a 16-5 postseason run, good for the NBA championship. The Lakers finished third in defensive rating.

This season, he has undramatically navigated choppy waters. Despite a shortened offseason, condensed schedule, several rotation changes (up to this month), COVID-19, and the absences of James and Anthony Davis f0r 54 combined games, the defending champions are 35-24, No. 5 in the West, with the league's top defensive rating.

Beyond the numbers, Vogel has made a characteristic imprint on the on-court product — perhaps the best compliment to give a coach. The way in which the Lakers, after winning a title, unabashedly commit, scrap and claw on the defensive end, embrace “togetherness” and hustle plays, and subscribe to a “next-man-up” mentality is a direct reflection of their consistent and understated skipper.

Like all human beings, Vogel isn't flawless: His teams have never lit it up from deep, though the 2020-21 Lakers and the Bubble Lakers have produced enough warm stretches to get by.

He's not an offensive mastermind, but that's OK: No. 23 is. Last season, the Lakers led the NBA in field goal percentage (48%). They were 10th in offensive rating when Davis was injured.

Vogel was not the top choice, but Rob Pelinka stumbled into the perfect hire — an unflashy, no-frills tactician with a player-friendly side and disregard for anything outside pure execution and incremental improvement. He's a loyal company man who can stay on message, and he can lead a star-laden squad under the spotlight.

“His communication skills have been on point when it comes to the top two players,” Jared Dudley told ESPN. “He knows the temperature of the team, knows when [James and Davis] need time off, when to rely on them, when to get on them in a film session. Everything he's doing says ‘veteran coach.'”

Unlike their Staples Center co-tenant, the Lakers, at least publicly, have been relatively drama-free during Vogel's tenure, for which he deserves credit. Sure, Marc Gasol has not been thrilled with the coaching staff and organization since the Andre Drummond signing, but he has played well. Vogel has allowed his players to foster their own locker room culture — smartly leaning on James and Davis — while getting their best efforts during work hours.

“He got on all of us — me, LeBron, everyone. A lot of coaches don't get on their superstars, but he does,” Davis told ESPN. “What's impressed me the most is that even when we win, he holds us accountable. When a team sees a coach getting on LeBron or me, the other guys respect him more and know they'll be held accountable too.”

Coaching the franchise everybody wants to play for with two superstars on board may seem like a cushy gig, but the universe has thrown plenty of obstacles Vogel's way. Last season, two months after the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant, the pandemic struck as the Lakers were grooving and James was making a late MVP push. After the hiatus, they magnificently navigated the bubble.

Following a condensed offseason and numerous personnel changes, L.A., to the surprise of many, hit the ground running. Relying on their infrastructure, the Lakers jumped out to a 21-6 record with a top-five offense and top defense at the time Davis was injured vs. the Denver Nuggets.

A well-oiled machine, humming despite some new parts.

The engine inevitably sputtered in February, especially once Davis got hurt. Vogel gave the team a nine-day vacation at the All-Star break, and they started rolling before James sprained his ankle.

In the time since, the Lakers have largely kept apace thanks to grittiness and cohesion.

“We’ve got a lot of fighters on this team. All the guys who are playing during this stretch, even though we’ve struggled at times in stretches over the last 3-4 games, our competitive spirit has been very high,” Vogel said. “I could say that about every player on our team. This team has a high care factor and loves to compete.”

Without their loudest voice (James) and the NBA's “best defender,” the Lakers have maintained a top-three defensive rating, enabling them to eke out victories, despite a lagging offense.

“He’s going to prepare. He’s going to watch more film than anybody. He’s going to do more scouting,” Alex Caruso said, via USA Today. “He’s kind of a nerd for the game of basketball. He looks up stats. He looks up different ways that guys are effective. He looks up different ways that teams play well. He tries to do his best to work with the rest of coaches to come up with good game plans. When you have the basketball minds in our locker room and our coaching staff, you’re going to have success.”

Vogel may be the ultimate X's and O's geek, but the Lakers' success has as much to do with his expectations. If you don’t defend, you don’t play. With 12 arguable rotation guys, he means it.

“I’ve always demanded a high level of defensive intensity, proficiency, care factor (and) hustle,” Vogel said. “This is what wins for you. Okay? You can have as much talent as you want, if you’re not going to play harder than your opponent and honor the defensive end, you’re not going to win at a high level. That’s what’s expected of our group.”

When Vogel mentions an upcoming point of emphasis in the film room, the Lakers clean it up; whether it’s ball movement, decision-making in the paint, shooting hesitancy, or turnovers. His players have repeatedly credited their productivity in the film room — an underrated quality during a season bereft of practice time.

After a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Montrezl Harrell credited Vogel for helping shore up his rotations. More recently, Vogel motivated Kentavious Caldwell-Pope off the schneid.

The development of Talen Horton-Tucker (and Caruso) reflects positively on the coach, too.

Ideally, the Lakers will have two more years to contend with James as a focal point. Vogel can maintain a standard of excellence and maximize depth — among the many reasons why he's the perfect candidate to continue manning the sideline. Plus, he has the steadfast approval of James — not easily attainable.

“He's just always been the anchor, and our coaching staff has been right behind him,” LeBron said in the bubble. “I can't say anything more than that. Just happy to be on the floor to kind of be his coach on the floor and just command to my teammates the same message that he's given to me and be an extension of his mind. It's been great.”

Jeanie Buss has awarded James and Davis with lucrative extensions. Vogel, 47, should, undoubtedly, become the first Lakers head coach since Phil Jackson (2007) to earn one, too.

Stopgap? More like asset.