The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because Vogel’s three-year contract has not been finalized. Vogel flew to Los Angeles on Thursday and met with a group that included owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka and adviser Kurt Rambis.

The 45-year old Vogel worked for the organization before as an advance scout during the 2005-06 season. He did not coach last season following two years with the Orlando Magic. Vogel went to Orlando following five-plus seasons leading the Indiana Pacers, including trips to the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and `14. He has a career record of 304-291.

Kidd interviewed with the Lakers last month. The former star player who was a head coach in Brooklyn and Milwaukee was fired by the Bucks during the 2017-18 season. He has a 183-190 record.

The Lakers have missed the playoffs six straight seasons. The drought was expected to end this season but injuries to LeBron James, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, as well as internal discord, resulted in a 37-45 record.

It’s an interesting pairing in many ways, including how Vogel was fired by Indiana in 2016 and Orlando in 2018 – and how he simply could never get past James in the playoffs.

The Pacers thought they had a title-contender in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and James and the Miami Heat eliminated them in all three of those postseasons. Vogel won 58 percent of his games in parts of six seasons with Indiana, but the lasting image of his tenure there is the fact that those clubs were always ousted by Miami.

Now, Vogel and James will be on the same side, both looking for a resurgence. This season was James’ first without a playoff appearance since 2005 and ended his streak of eight consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. Vogel is coming off a 54-110 tenure in two seasons with Orlando, while the Magic were rebuilding.

Vogel is known mainly as a defensive coach. Indiana led the league in defensive efficiency twice and was in the top 10 during his five-plus seasons. The Lakers were tied for 13th in defensive efficiency last season. An official announcement announcing his hiring might not come until Monday, which would mark the start of a busy week for the Lakers. They will take part in the draft lottery on Tuesday and will also be at the draft combine.

Vogel’s hiring is the first step in what will be – and has already been – an eventful and critical offseason for the Lakers, who will be on their sixth coach since Phil Jackson stepped down after the 2010-11 season.

The firing of Luke Walton as coach April 12 was not unexpected, and came three days after Magic Johnson stunned the team and just about everybody else by giving up his role running the club. Johnson, the former Lakers star, dropped that news in an impromptu news conference held roughly 90 minutes before the regular-season finale.

The Lakers pursued several other candidates, and appeared to be closing in on a deal with Tyronn Lue that would have looked to make sense in many ways. Lue played for the Lakers, was part of two teams that won championships there, and coached James to the 2016 NBA title in Cleveland. But that deal never got to the finish line, and the Lakers’ search quickly moved toward Vogel.

The Lakers also considered Monty Williams, who was hired by the Phoenix Suns, and Juwan Howard and J.B. Bickerstaff

The Lakers expect to have more than $40 million in salary cap space this summer and will likely resume their pursuit of Anthony Davis – who would have to be traded by New Orleans – either around the draft or the July 1 start of free agency. When that player-shopping window begins, the Lakers will likely try to land Kawhi Leonard and other big names who might be willing to play with James.

And there is a slew of roster work to do. The Lakers had several rotation players on either one-year or expiring deals this season, a list that includes Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler.

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Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs
When: 8:30 PM ET, Thursday, January 12, 2017
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
PREDICTION: Spurs 107, Lakers 94

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs will look to make amends for a rare poor defensive game and are expected to be back at full strength when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Alamo City on Thursday.

The Spurs are coming off a 109-007 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday that snapped a nine-game home winning streak. The defeat was uncharacteristic in that San Antonio did not make the defensive stops in the endgame that it is noted for.

Despite the subpar work on the defensive end, San Antonio (30-8) had a final shot to win. Reserve guard Maun Ginobili’s 3-pointer from the corner with one second to play caromed off the side of the backboard and out of bounds as the horn sounded.

“Our problem on (Tuesday) started with our individual defense,” Spurs center Pau Gasol said. “(The Bucks) ran the same two plays about 80 percent of the time, and they scored effectively.

“We’re supposed to be a pretty good defensive team, and that doesn’t come from just one player, and not two players, but the entire team working together and being in sync on the floor. A guy can score one time, maybe twice, on a certain play, but that’s it. We just let it keep rolling and paid the price.”

The Spurs placed six players in double-figure scoring, led by the 30-point performance by forward Kawhi Leonard. It was Leonard’s ninth game of 30 or more points this season. San Antonio played against Milwaukee without star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who was out due to a stomach illness.

“We have to play better leading up to the end of the game so it doesn’t come down to if you make or miss a final shot,” Spurs reserve forward David Lee said. “At the end of the game, they hit a couple of tough shots that were contested, and we missed a few that were wide open. We had a couple of stretches when we didn’t play our best defense.”

The Lakers (15-27) head to San Antonio off a disheartening 108-87 home loss Tuesday to the Portland Trail Blazers in which Los Angeles scored just 30 points in the second half. The defeat snapped a modest two-game winning streak for the Lakers, who have won four times in their past 10 games.

Portland outscored the Lakers 23-12 in the third quarter while outshooting them 43.5 percent to 21.7 percent in the period. No Los Angeles player scored more than four points in the quarter as the starters combined for only six points.

“We just went flat,” Los Angles guard Nick Young said. “The energy wasn’t there in the second half. It got tough for us. It wasn’t anything they were doing. We just didn’t have the energy.”

Lakers coach Luke Walton was displeased with how his players focused on the offensive end.

Only three Los Angeles players scored in double figures against Portland. Luol Deng finished with a team-high 14 points, 13 of which came in the first half, when the Lakers forged a 57-55 lead.

“We aren’t winning games when one guy scores 40,” Walton said. “We had nights like that, too, and we lose. I thought we played a good first half, so what happened after that was very unexpected. We’ve made some great progress the past few weeks, so we can’t let the way we played (Tuesday) affect us. We just have to move on.”

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. San Antonio beat the Lakers 116-107 at Staples Center on Nov. 18 in the first matchup. Los Angeles has lost eight straight games to San Antonio and hasn’t won the season series against the Spurs since 2008-09.

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Clarkson and Dragic collided several times while fighting for position under the basket during the third quarter of Friday’s game. Clarkson finally knocked down Dragic with a blow to the head.

Teammates and officials kept the two apart following the scuffle and Clarkson and Dragic were both ejected.

Dragic scored 16 points before getting tossed out.

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Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, January 6, 2017
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Miami), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
PREDICTION: Lakers 105, Heat 101

LOS ANGELES — The misfortunes of the youthful Los Angeles Lakers continued Thursday night with breakdowns in the second half of a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers will try to fix some of their mistakes Friday night when they face the Miami Heat at Staples Center.

The Lakers (13-26) were outscored 13-1 late in the game in a 115-109 loss to the Trail Blazers, managing just the one point in their final eight possessions.

Los Angeles built a double-digit lead in the first half but blew it in the second half to fall for the 16th time in its last 19 games.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win, and we had a lead,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “We broke down on defense a couple of times down the stretch. And we started searching out some 3s when we need to just continue to push the ball, set hard screens and dive instead of go for a home-run play.”

The Lakers were without forward Luol Deng (biceps). However, rookie Brandon Ingram replaced him and delivered a decent effort with 11 points and four rebounds in 37 minutes. Point guard D’Angelo Russell scored 22 points and guard Jordan Clarkson added 21 to lead the Lakers.

Like the Lakers, the Heat have struggled this season. However, they snapped a six-game losing streak with a 107-102 victory in their last outing at Sacramento against the Kings on Wednesday.

A slew of injuries have plagued the Heat (11-26). They lost forward Justise Winslow, who underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder on Thursday. Winslow, the club’s first-round pick in the 2015 draft, averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18 games. Winslow missed 16 games earlier this season with a sore left wrist.

“I really feel for him because I know how much time he put in this summer,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told the Miami Herald. “He’s put in as much time as anybody. I know how much it means for him to be here (with his team) and be able to make an impact.”

Center Hassan Whiteside, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder at 17.3 points and 14.3 boards per game, has been sidelined the past three games with a bruised retina in his right eye. However, Whiteside is expected to return against the Lakers.

And Heat guard Dion Waiters, who has been out for the last 19 games with a groin injury, could be back in the lineup.

In addition, guard Goran Dragic has been ailing with back problems. Dragic, though, played well against the Kings and scored 19 points.

Miami has gotten a boost from guard Tyler Johnson, who was the NBA’s second-leading scorer off the bench to the Lakers guard Lou Williams at 13.8 points per game. Johnson delivered 23 points and a crucial block to help preserve the Heat’s victory over the Kings.

In his last five games, Johnson is averaging 17.2 points, four rebounds and four assists and shooting 49.2 percent.

The Heat beat the Lakers 115-107 in their last meeting on Dec. 22 in Miami. They have captured eight of the last nine against the Lakers.

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LA LAKERS vs SACRAMENTO
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, December 12, 2016
Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), CSN California (Sacramento)
PREDICTION: Kings 103, Lakers 96

Oddsmakers currently have the Kings listed as 8½-point favorites versus the Lakers, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Not long ago, Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins watched how his team performed in the fourth quarter of games, especially late, and opined that the Kings were one of the league’s best in the game’s final minutes.

It might be time for a reassessment.

The Kings (8-15) will be coming off two fourth-quarter disappointments when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday at the Golden 1 Center. The second of those contests, a 104-84 loss at the Utah Jazz on Saturday, proved particularly galling. Sacramento trailed 78-76 entering the final 12 minutes and was outscored 26-8 in its lowest-scoring quarter of the campaign.

The Kings lost for the fifth time in six contests only 24 hours after they dropped a 103-100 decision at home to the New York Knicks. Sacramento scored just one basket in the final 2:09 of that game and fell to 4-10 during a 14-game stretch that started when it blew a 19-point first-half lead at home in a 101-91 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 10.

The earlier loss to the Lakers highlighted the inconsistency with which the Kings have played from quarter to quarter during much of their campaign, an issue at least as prevalent as their recent fades down the stretch. Cousins acknowledged as much in summarizing Sacramento’s loss to Utah.

“It’s the same mistakes that’s been hurting us most of the year,” Cousins said. “Defensive breakdowns, second-chance points, same things.”

The heavy burden of carrying Sacramento’s offense each night might be starting to wear on Cousins. The seventh-year veteran is averaging 28.2 points per game, the third-best mark in the league and a figure that marks 27.6 percent of the Kings’ scoring this season. Cousins also is 10th in the league with 10.6 rebounds per game, 20 percent of his team’s total. He is averaged 34.5 minutes while playing all 23 contests.

However, he went 7 of 22 from the floor against Utah and appeared to be laboring. The Kings’ schedule isn’t helping; Sacramento will be playing for the third time in four nights Monday and the 13th time in less than four weeks.

“DeMarcus looks like he’s carrying a 50-pound weight around,” coach Dave Joerger said after the loss to Utah. “He looks exhausted.”

The Lakers don’t look as spry as they did a month ago, when they surprised the league by winning 10 of their first 20 games. Coach Luke Walton’s team lost its sixth straight Sunday, 118-112 at home against the Knicks. Los Angeles allowed at least 103 points in all six of those defeats and surrendered fewer than 100 in only five of its 26 contests.

Guard D’Angelo Russell (sore left knee) returned from a 12-game absence, and guard Nick Young (strained calf) played for the first time in seven games, putting the Lakers’ starting backcourt back on the floor again. The two combine for 29.4 points and 8.1 assists per game.

Lou Williams scored 24 points for the Lakers on Sunday, leading Los Angeles in scoring for the fifth consecutive contest. Williams is averaging 32.2 points a game in that stretch, all while coming off the bench.

“Usually when you score a ton of points, you’re going to get some wins out of it,” he said after putting up 35 in a victory over Phoenix on Friday. “We haven’t had that. … Losing is losing.”

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Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers
When: 10:30 PM ET, Monday, December 5, 2016
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
PREDICTION: Jazz 105, Lakers 99

“We talked about this early in the season. We felt like he’d expanded his game,” Utah coach Quin Snyder told reporters of Hayward. “. … He’s able to score in multiple ways. When someone takes something away, he’s able to have another option. The biggest thing Gordon’s been doing is defending and, as a result, he’s getting some easy baskets.” The Jazz will be without point guard and second-leading scorer George Hill for the third straight game due to a toe injury, but the Lakers won’t feel sorry for them with plenty of injury concerns of their own. Second-leading scorer D’Angelo Russell (knee) and fourth-leading point producer Nick Young (calf) are expected to miss the game for Los Angeles. The Lakers have dropped three of four after Saturday’s 103-100 setback against Memphis.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (12-9): In addition to Hill, forward Derrick Favors (knee) and guard Alec Burks (ankle) are out but Utah was happy to have third-leading scorer Rodney Hood back in the lineup for Saturday’s win over Denver. Hood missed one game with a hamstring injury and did not shoot well in his return Saturday (4-for-14) while finishing with 15 points in 28 minutes. Hayward, who is averaging 22.8 points overall, told reporters, “we’ve been able to survive the storm and find ways to win games without some of our top guys. I’m proud of that.”

ABOUT THE LAKERS (10-12): Point guard Jose Calderon is expected to join Russell and Young on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury Saturday while forward Larry Nance Jr. (knee) is questionable. Los Angeles will need more from others to stay afloat and reserve guard Louis Williams recorded 40 points in Saturday’s loss to push his team-leading average to 17.5. Small forward Luol Deng has struggled much of the season, shooting just 34.3 percent from the field, but came through with a season-high 18 points against Memphis.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Jazz knocked off the Lakers 96-89 at home on Oct. 28 for their fifth win in the last six meetings.

2. Utah F Trey Lyles is stepping up with Favors out, averaging 13 points and shooting 55.3 percent from the field the last five games.

3. Williams has made at least one free throw in 30 straight games – the longest active streak for a reserve in the league.

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Los Angeles Lakers vs Chicago Bulls
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

CHICAGO — A thin backcourt keeps getting thinner for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last week, the Lakers lost 20-year-old point guard D’Angelo Russell to a left knee injury that could sideline him for a couple more weeks. Now, shooting guard Nick Young could miss time after sustaining a right Achilles tendon strain Tuesday in a loss against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Young is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday before the Lakers (9-10) visit the Chicago Bulls (10-6). In the meantime, look for Jose Calderon and Jordan Clarkson to lead the backcourt during the second road game in as many nights for Los Angeles.

“You do your best — I know it’s a cliche — but literally trying to take it one game at a time,” first-year Lakers coach Luke Walton told the Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are grateful to wake up in their own beds after a grueling six-game road trip that spanned the West Coast before crisscrossing the country to Philadelphia. Chicago won four of six games on the trip and surpassed 100 points in each of its past three contests.

The Bulls return to their home court for the first time since Nov. 12. The team is 4-1 at the United Center this season, with its only setback coming against the New York Knicks.

The Lakers and Bulls meet for the second time in the 11 days. Chicago outlasted Los Angeles 118-110 on Nov. 20 at the Staples Center as guard Jimmy Butler erupted for 40 points.

Butler has played like a superstar in his first season alongside free-agent addition Dwyane Wade. Butler is averaging 25.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his first 16 contests.

The buoyant 27-year-old told reporters he looked forward to competing against the Lakers and veteran forward Luol Deng, Butler’s friend and former teammate. Deng served as a mentor for Butler, whom the Bulls drafted with the final pick of the first round in 2011.

“The way I look at it, I owe him a little bit,” Butler said with a sly smile to the Chicago Tribune. “That’s why I’m going to show him the protege is doing it.”

Wade said Butler’s emergence was real.

“This is not a facade,” Wade said to the Chicago Tribune. “This is not luck. This is the way he can play night in and night out. He understands that now. Once you reach that level, it’s a big responsibility to stay there. But he wants to, and he has all the tools to do it.”

Reserve guard Lou Williams led the Lakers with 25 points against the Bulls in the team’s first meeting. Forward Larry Nance Jr. added 18 points off the bench.

Los Angeles lost five of its past seven games to slip below .500. Walton’s team is searching for its first win against the Bulls since Jan. 29, 2015.

Lakers forward Julius Randle returned Tuesday after missing the previous three games because of a hip-pointer injury. Randle scored 12 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 22 minutes.

“I don’t have to be pain-free, (but) I’m just trying to figure out a way around it,” Randle told the Los Angeles Times. “But the biggest thing is I don’t want it to get worse.”

Bulls guard Doug McDermott is expected to miss his seventh consecutive game as he recovers from a concussion. He returned to practice this week but has not been cleared for contact drills.

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L.A. Lakers At Sacramento
When: 10:00 PM ET, Monday, April 13, 2015
Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), CSN California (Sacramento)
PREDICTION: Kings 97, Lakers 93
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Oddsmakers currently have the Kings listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Lakers, while the game’s total is sitting at 207.

Forward Omri Casspi is receiving extended playing time with Gay out for the season and has scored in double digits in all seven games this month. Casspi had a solid all-around effort in the outing against Denver with 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He is averaging 19 points and gone 11-of-21 from 3-point range in April.

The Kings were a 122-111 loser in their most recent outing on the road against the Nuggets. They failed to cover the +8.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (233) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 27-53 SU,31-46-3 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Sacramento is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Sacramento is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento’s last 5 games
Sacramento is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home

Center Tarik Black has been taking advantage of his opportunity to play and has posted back-to-back double-doubles. The rookie had a career-best 19 rebounds against Dallas and is averaging 14 points and 14.5 rebounds over the past two games while making 11-of-14 field-goal attempts. Rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson continues to play well and had 26 points against the Mavericks and has scored 20 or more points in four of the last six games.

Los Angeles was a 120-106 loser in its last match at home against the Mavericks. They failed to cover the +6-point spread as underdogs, while the total score of 226 sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 21-59 SU,38-39-3 ATS
LA Lakers is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
LA Lakers is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Lakers’s last 9 games
LA Lakers is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games on the road

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L.A. Clippers At L.A. Lakers
When: 9:30 PM ET, Sunday, April 5, 2015
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Clippers), TWC SportsNet (Lakers)
PREDICTION: Clippers 122, Lakers 96
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Oddsmakers currently have the Clippers listed as 12-point favorites versus the Lakers, while the game’s total is sitting at 212.

The Lakers were a 107-77 loser in their most recent outing at home against the Trail Blazers. They failed to cover the +10.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (184) made winners of UNDER bettors.

Proving they are the best team in Los Angeles is still a big deal to the Clippers despite the Lakers’ porous season. “They’re just down right now,” forward Matt Barnes told reporters, “but you know an organization like that is not going to stay down, so we’re just taking advantage of them being down and making sure we kick their (rear) every chance we get.” Barnes scored 19 points in the most-recent meeting when the Clippers registered a 114-89 victory.

Team record: 20-55 SU,36-36-3 ATS
LA Lakers is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Lakers is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Lakers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

Los Angeles was a 107-92 winner in its last match on the road against the Nuggets. They covered the -11-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 199 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Los Angeles coach Byron Scott said at Saturday’s practice that small forward Nick Young (fractured left kneecap) won’t play again this season. Young has missed the past 20 games and struggled even when healthy by averaging 13.4 points on a career-low 36.6 percent from the field. “It’s just a matter of getting him healthy – and understanding going into next year his priorities need to be a little different,” Scott told reporters. “He’s a home run or strikeout type guy on the offensive end. Just like I told him, he has to elevate his game.”

Team record: 51-26 SU,36-41 ATS
LA Clippers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Clippers’s last 9 games
LA Clippers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road

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Portland At L.A. Lakers
When: 9:30 PM ET, Sunday, January 11, 2015
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CSN Northwest (Trail Blazers), TWC SportsNet (Lakers)
PREDICTION: Trail Blazers 105, Lakers 98
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Oddsmakers currently have the Trail Blazers listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Lakers, while the game’s total is sitting at 204.

Point guard Jeremy Lin has been underwhelming most of the campaign but has strung together five consecutive double-digit outings after producing 18 points, six assists and four steals in the victory against Orlando. “I think he’s getting more comfortable and I think his confidence is coming back,” Scott told reporters. “I think he understands exactly what I want from him – it’s just a matter of going out there and doing it.” Lin is averaging 14.8 points over the last five games after scoring in single digits in nine of the previous 14 games.

Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 101-84 winner as they battled the Magic at home. The Lakers covered in the match as a -2-point favorite, while 185 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 12-25 SU,20-16-1 ATS
LA Lakers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Lakers is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers’s last 6 games
LA Lakers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home

Since shredding the Lakers on 12-of-21 shooting, Lillard has had back-to-back 16-point outings on 9-of-27 shooting. He suffered a lower back injury when he collided with Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade on Thursday and he was clearly hampered by the injury two days later against Orlando. Lillard was just 2-of-8 from 3-point range against the Magic but has made multiple 3-pointers in 11 of the past 12 games.

Portland was a 103-92 winner in its last match at home against the Magic. They failed to cover the -14.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 195 sent PUSH bettors to the payout window.

Team record: 29-8 SU,21-15-1 ATS
Current Streak: won 3 straight games.
Portland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland’s last 6 games
Portland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road

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