It’s not really a secret that Kobe Bryant wanted Phil Jackson back in the fold with the Lakers. He also hasn’t quite been supportive of Mike D’Antoni when asked about his job performance.
Well, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was asked about consulting with Kobe on D’Antoni’s future with the team by USA Today and here is how it went:
Q: Will he factor in on the decision about Mike?
A: We will not consult with him. No, we won’t consult with him.
Q: Because when he was asked about Mike last week, the perception was that he didn’t go to bat for him publicly. That started the storyline of “Well, Mike’s not coming back because it doesn’t seem like Kobe wants him back.”
A: We won’t consult with him. Our decisions going forward — we’re not going to do knee-jerk stuff. We’ll let the season end, and take some time. We’ve got a lot of injuries and surgeries to sort through. That’s a lot to accomplish. We have the draft coming up?
The interesting plotline with the Lakers now is how they will handle Kobe going forward. It’s obvious that the best route for the organization is to not overspend in free agency this year, get a top 5 pick and try to reload after next season with Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo or both.
Kobe doesn’t have time for a rebuild in the twilight of his career but he may not have a choice.