The Phoenix Suns (63-16) landed the finishing blow on Tuesday night, but the Los Angeles Lakers (31-48) were done weeks ago, if not months. Preseason expectations were unrealistic, the roster was never fully healthy and the pieces never seemed to fit.

The question of how the Lakers got here isn't as crucial as what they do moving forward. It's easy to point fingers, but mapping a viable path forward is more complicated.

Changes at the Top Unlikely

There's no evidence that team governor Jeanie Buss, who holds roughly two-thirds of the franchise alongside her siblings, is looking to sell the Lakers. Barring something completely unexpected, significant changes seem unlikely.

Buss relies heavily on the council of Linda and Kurt Rambis—professional and personal relationships that go back several decades. That, too, isn't likely to change.

The buzz around the league suggests general manager Rob Pelinka has another year to get the Lakers back on track. The blame internally appears to be focused on injuries, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James for pressuring the team to trade for Westbrook.

James may have as much power as any player in the NBA, but he's not in charge, and the front office celebrated Westbrook's arrival. Leadership must take responsibility for recent failures, but it doesn't sound like any key roles are set to change in the immediate future.

Coaching Search

As detailed by B/R's Jake Fischer on Tuesday morning, Frank Vogel's time in Los Angeles appears to be coming to an end.

That Vogel was figuratively a dead man walking was evident in January, but instead of looking back at what he did right and what he did wrong, the pertinent question is, who will take over the Lakers' bench?