LeBron James’ team wants Lakers coach Luke Walton to be FIRED – NBA expert

That is what ESPN’s Jackie McMullan believes.

Since the start of the season, there has been constant speculation over Walton’s future.

After the Lakers fell to a 3-5 start to the season, Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson reportedly reprimanded Walton and warned him that his job was not secure.

The Lakers then got a string of results together and started to perform as more of a team.

But the pressure on Walton hasn’t stopped.

And on Christmas Day, the Lakers’ season hit rock bottom as James suffered a groin strain, missing four to six weeks.

Without James, they have lost ten games compared to just five wins.

And McMullan claims that James and his team want the Lakers to move on from Walton.

“There’s a lot of tension in that building,” McMullan said.

“A lot of tension in that building, and I think people are wondering about Luke Walton even though Jeanie Buss [Lakers owner] came out very strongly and said ‘I want Luke to be here, I back him 100 percent,’ but then also made the point that has to be made.

“That’s that she hired Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, to make these decisions, and if Earvin feels differently she gave him the power to make those kinds of decisions.

“It’s clear to me, and probably to you Brian, that LeBron’s camp would prefer a coaching change.

“They’re not too subtle about that.

“I don’t think that’s fair, I don’t.”

Buss recently declared that everybody at the Lakers is behind Walton, despite this latest claim.

“The vision has to come from Magic,” she admitted.

“But from where I sit, from what I can tell you, every single thing that we’re doing, every person from the organisation is here to make Luke successful.”

source: express.co.uk