Los Angeles Lakers Next Head Coach Odds: Are Stars Aligning for Mark Jackson's Return?

With Frank Vogel out, the Lakers are on the hunt for a new head coach. ESPN broadcaster and former Warriors head coach Mark Jackson (+200) tops the board with a plethora of options listed below him. Check out the full list of candidates below.

Apr 13, 2022 • 15:04 ET • 4 min read
Mark Jackson ESPN Los Angeles Lakers
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

With NBA betting odds now focused on postseason action, the Los Angeles Lakers' priorities are elsewhere.

A disastrous season that saw LeBron James' crew finish 33-49, missing the NBA Play-In Tournament altogether, is finally over — and as a result, the Lakers are moving on from head coach Frank Vogel.

That puts the Lakers in the hunt for someone to lead their bench and odds are now available for who that someone might be. From Mark Jackson and Nick Nurse all the way to Coach K and Phil Jackson, the options are plentiful.

You can check out the full list of candidates and their odds below. 

Los Angeles Lakers next coach odds

Candidates Odds to become next LA Lakers HC
Mark Jackson +200
Nick Nurse +450
Mike Brown +500
Doc Rivers +700
David Fizdale +750
Sam Cassell +1,000
Quin Snyder +1,000
Juwan Howard +1,000
Steve Clifford +1,200
Kenny Atkinson +1,200
Terry Stotts +1,200
Stan Van Gundy +3,300
John Calipari +3,300
Jay Wright +5,000
Becky Hammon +5,000
Mike Krzyzewski +8,000
Phil Jackson +10,000
LeBron James +15,000

Odds as of April 13, 2022.

Favorites to become next LA Lakers head coach

Mark Jackson (+200)

Sitting atop the opening odds board to become the Lakers' next head coach is ESPN broadcaster and former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson.

The former NBA player coached the Warriors from 2011 to 2014 but was ultimately leapfrogged by Steve Kerr, who led GSW to three NBA Championships during a run of five straight NBA Finals appearances. 

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, LeBron James would take kindly to a Mark Jackson hiring, stating James is "very enthused" at the possibility of him becoming the next head coach. 

That LeBron James endorsement alone has him topping the early board at +200.

Nick Nurse (+450)

Nick Nurse led the Raptors to their first NBA Championship in 2019, won Coach of the Year in 2020, and was immediately rewarded with a multi-year extension in September 2020, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA.

Despite the multi-year deal and a comfortable gig, Nurse was the first name to cycle the rumour mill on the heels of Vogel's firing. It seems unlikely he switches roles, but either way, he sits second on the board at +450.

Mike Brown (+500)

Just below Nurse on the board is another Coach of the Year winner, Mike Brown. He has a lot of ties to this position, having coached LeBron James for many of his early years in Cleveland as well as coaching the Lakers in 2011-12.

Brown was last a head coach for the Cavs during the 2013-14 season but has spent the last half-decade on Steve Kerr's staff in Golden State, making him an interesting candidate at +500.

Other notable candidates

While there are some other true NBA coaching prospects on the board, including Doc Rivers (+700), Quin Snyder (+1,000), and Kenny Atkinson (+1,200), there are also a handful of high-status college coaches like Michigan's Juwan Howard, Kentucky's John Calipari (+3,300), Villanova's Jay Wright (+5,000) and even the newly-retired Coach K at +8,000. 

The bottom of the list includes the one and only Phil Jackson at +10,000 and LeBron James himself at +15,000, because... why not?

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