Although it's unknown whether the Los Angeles Lakers want their head coach to return for next season, USA Today's Sam Amick brings word that D'Antoni is pushing the Lakers to exercise his 2015-16 option. Yahoo! Sports' Marc J. Spears confirms that D'Antoni has more than his status for 2014-15 on the brain:
Magic Mike signed a three-year deal with the team in November 2012 that has a club option for a fourth season. With D'Antoni fully aware of how precarious his job status is, Amick says he's looking for some security:
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, D'Antoni is has some concerns about returning as a lame-duck coach and is pushing for the 2015-16 option to be picked up. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the discussions.
It's unclear whether D'Antoni will return if the Lakers maintain their current stance that they don't plan on picking up the option, but the fact that he would like that sort of security should surprise no one who has watched these last two seasons unfold.
So much for D'Antoni showing himself out.
The New York Daily News' Mitch Lawrence reported earlier this month that the Lakers were looking for a "peaceful" way to end things with D'Antoni, since they preferred not to fire him. At the moment, it doesn't seem like he's going to make things easy on them.
This is an interesting ploy on D'Antoni's part. The extra year's worth of security would mean the world to a coach who has spent the last year or so occupying one of the hottest seats in basketball.
Blame has been attributed to him for Dwight Howard's departure. D'Antoni's offense is notorious for marginalizing big men, and his system didn't figure to be a good fit for Superman.
To a lesser degree, the Lakers are now facing a sim...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
