While the Lakers are showing a little more fight, even in losses, their improvement may be too late to save the careers of Jim Buss, Mitch Kupchak and Byron Scott.

The Phil Jackson-to-Lakers rumors heated up with a recent article from Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski in The Vertical.

Luke Walton May Not Even Want Lakers' Coaching Job

In assessing the Knicks' coaching situation, in which Golden State assistant Luke Walton and former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau are considered candidates to replace Derek Fisher, Wojnarowski surmised that may not matter if Jackson won't be around after the season.

"Golden State assistant Luke Walton is closest to a legitimately coveted candidate with ties to Jackson and the triangle -- and he's still largely unproven, too," Wojnarowski reported. "Walton intrigues Jackson, but truth be told: Why would Walton come East without an assurance Jackson is committed to the long run in New York? There's still a strong belief Jackson will eventually find his way to his fiancée Jeanie Buss and the Los Angeles Lakers. Walton will be competing with Thibodeau for the Lakers job in the spring, and who knows: Jackson and Walton could be reunited there."

Coach Byron Scott Will Be Out In Los Angeles After Season

Contributing to the heightened Jackson interest in a West Coast reunion with fiancée and Lakers CEO Jeanie Buss and his former team is the new self-appointed Lakers insider Stephen A. Smith.

The Lakers are threating to break last year's record for most losses in a season. They had 61 last year and are just ahead of that pace again with an 11-43 record this season.

Scott has presided over the last two seasons and seems to be having trouble connecting with his young players D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle

Lakers fans could use some encouraging words right now, and the prospect of anyone else at the controls qualifies as encouraging. Especially Phil Jackson.

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