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Sources: Lakers not planning to fire Frank Vogel as team continues slide

The Los Angeles Lakers will not be making a personnel move at this juncture and Frank Vogel will travel with the team tomorrow to coach in Orlando on Friday, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Vogel's job security has been a topic of speculation recently as the Lakers have lost four of their last five games, including a 111-104 defeat to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

In that loss, offseason acquisition Russell Westbrook was benched late in the game. Vogel told reporters after the game that he chose to play "the guys that I thought were going to win the game." Westbrook left the bench before the end of the game and did not speak to the media.

The Lakers now embark on a six-game road trip, starting with the last-place team in the Eastern Conference, the 8-38 Magic. They then travel to East contenders Miami on Sunday, Brooklyn on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Jan. 27. Los Angeles caps the trip with stops in Charlotte on Jan. 28 and in Atlanta on Jan. 30.

The Lakers are 22-23 and in eighth place in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are currently without Anthony Davis, who is working his way back from an MCL sprain. Although he has been cleared for contact, there is no timetable for his return.

Earlier Wednesday, Vogel addressed reports about his job security.

“In this business and with this team, if you’re not winning at a super-high level, you’re going to get this type of noise,” Vogel said, per the Associated Press. “I’m good at blocking it out. I feel good about the job we’re doing, and obviously we believe the results are going to come. But over the course of an 82-game season with a new group, you’re going to have some ugly nights.”

Vogel is 116-70 in his Lakers tenure that includes the 2020 championship in the bubble. He was hired in May 2019 after Luke Walton and the franchise decided to part ways after three playoff-less seasons.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel looks on during a game.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel will travel with the team to coach on Friday in Orlando, sources told Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)