Metta World Peace might not make the Los Angeles Lakers' opening-night roster, but that doesn't mean he's going anywhere. According to ESPN's Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers want to keep World Peace around as an assistant coach. "Coach World Peace" has a ring to it, doesn't it?
The odds are against Metta World Peace making the Los Angeles Lakers' Opening Night roster, but the Lakers have interest in keeping the veteran forward around as an assistant coach if they can't make room for him as an active player, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that World Peace's impact as a mentor to young players last season was a big reason they invited him to training camp again under new coach Luke Walton.
This time, though, competition is much stiffer for the Lakers' 15th and final roster spot, thanks to the post-Olympics signing of China star Yi Jianlian and the strong play of camp invitee Thomas Robinson.
Sources say that World Peace's preference, at age 36, is to continue his playing career, even if the Lakers ultimately decide they won't keep him and that forces him to look elsewhere. L.A.'s decision must be made Monday by 5 p.m., when all NBA teams are required to get down to 15 players in advance of the first night of the regular season.
The Lakers have 14 guaranteed contracts, and they wouldn't have brought Yi to camp if they weren't going to give him a serious shot. World Peace's best chance of making the roster probably disappeared when Nick Young had a strong preseason and earned rave reviews from Walton -- there was speculation in the offseason that Los Angeles would either trade or waive the man known as Swaggy P.
World Peace, who turns 37 in November, is on the record saying that he wants to play 20 seasons of professional basketball and retire when he's 40. At media day, he said, "I still bite. When I'm on the court, I still, you know, I'll be running next to a lion and the lion is like, 'Respect. Respect, Metta.'" While he has been a mentor for young Lakers like Julius Randle, it is unclear whether he'd be open to becoming a full-time coach.
