It’s that time of year again.
The Kevin Ollie NBA rumor mill is as much a springtime staple as baseball, hay fever and promposal videos. On Monday, things got going once again when Ollie’s name emerged as a potential candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching vacancy.
ESPN’s Andy Katz tweeted Monday morning that Ollie has had no communication with the Lakers, but why let that stop us?
Naturally, by Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Daily News’s Mark Medina reported that Ollie found the job “intriguing,” according to a source “familiar with his thinking.” Sports Illustrated then picked up the story, adding additional credibility by getting Ollie’s National Championship season wrong by two years.
But as rumors swirl, it is important to remember a few key points:
- There are plenty of safer names on the suspected Lakers’ short list, including Luke Walton and Dave Blatt.
- John Calipari’s name appears in these same rumors, which gets more laughable with every job opening.
- If Ollie were to go to the Lakers, he’d be taking a HUGE risk. With only a few years head coaching experience and plenty of questions around his x’s and o’s ability, Ollie would be thrust into one of the most high-pressure jobs in the league. If he failed, what would be his next step? Tough to say.
- Ollie’s contract buyout is currently $4 million, but it will drop to $1 million on May 31. A year from now, it will disappear completely because of former athletic director Warde Manuel’s departure.
- You all wanted Ollie fired after the first Cincinnati loss anyway.
Will Ollie actually bolt for the NBA this year? I have no idea. But one thing is for sure: nothing substantive has been reported yet, so hold your horses.
