Lakers fire head coach Byron Scott
Byron Scott's run as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers came to an end after two years on Sunday night.
Following a season in which the Lakers finished with a franchise-worst 17-65 record, Los Angeles fired Scott, the team announced.
"We would like to thank Byron for his hard work, dedication and loyalty over the last two years, but have decided it is in the best interest of the organization to make a change at this time," general manager Mitch Kupchak said in an official statement.
The decision wasn't made with a successor in place. Kupchak and ownership will now begin their search for Scott's replacement.
The dismissal comes just days after it was reported that former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau had his eyes set on possibly joining the Lakers as their new sideline general. However, the team hesitated because it was still deliberating Scott's future. Thibodeau has since agreed to terms with the Minnesota Timberwolves to become their coach and president of basketball operations.
It's been three years since the Lakers last qualified for the postseason, with the team accumulating a 38-126 record (.207) under Scott.
He had two team options left on his contract that the Lakers decided not to pick up, as Scott failed to meet predetermined performance incentives, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. Had he done so, his partially guaranteed deal would've been fully guaranteed.
The Lakers ranked 29th in offense (98.6 points per 100 possessions) and last in defense (109.3 points per 100 possessions) in 2015-16, down from the previous campaign when Scott first took over (24th on offense, 29th on defense).
How the Lakers' young talent was handled with Scott at the helm was often called into question, particularly with this season seeing Kobe Bryant's send-off seemingly taking priority over the development of players like sophomore Julius Randle and No. 2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell.
Scott's firing means the Lakers will enter next season with their sixth coach since 2011, having also gone through Phil Jackson, Mike Brown, Bernie Bickerstaff, and Mike D'Antoni during that span.
Scott told reporters Friday that he "absolutely" expected to be back with the Lakers, explaining it was his "dream job" and he wanted to be involved heavily in getting L.A. back on the winning path.