Jeanie Buss: Phil Jackson to Coach Next Year, Somewhere

What would a Lakers postseason run be without some additional drama about Phil Jackson’s future? Jeanie, his girlfriend/team VP tells ESPN that Jackson will roam a yet-to-be-determined sideline next season: “I know Phil will be coaching next year, somewhere. Whether it’s here or someplace else I don’t know,’ Buss said. ‘There’s going to be a lot of good jobs that come up this summer.’ Buss wouldn’t elaborate on which jobs might interest Jackson if he doesn’t extend his career with the Lakers. But she was emphatic that the choice isn’t limited to Jackson returning to the Lakers or retiring. ‘I know that he can’t just retire,’ she said. ‘I’m like, ‘Honey, what are you going to do? Are you going to help your kids go change diapers and stuff?’ ‘I think if they win it’s like a no-brainer he’ll come back because he’ll want to win three in a row,’ Jeanie Buss said. ‘But [if they don’t win], if there isn’t that connection, he would understand. Plus, my dad has made it very clear he doesn’t want to pay him what he’s been paying him. So that’s kind of hard, too. You could kind of say, in some jobs, well I’m cutting back your hours. But can you see him cutting back his hours? It’s not really about the amount of money, it’s about ‘I can’t give you less effort.'”