Former coach Byron Scott didn't have the most graceful split from the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2016, as his feud with young point guard D'Angelo Russell was very public.

Many felt Scott was hurting the young Lakers star's development by randomly benching him during crucial moments of games.

Now under the leadership of Luke Walton, the Lakers are seemingly heading in the right direction, but Scott isn't getting too excited just yet.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Scott said he expects the Lakers to be better this year than they were last year, but added that he doesn't think Los Angeles has what it takes to make the Western Conference playoffs just yet:

"This year? I don't think so this year," he said in the TMZ video. "It depends, but I think they got a real good chance at being a whole lot better than they have been the last few years, that's for sure."

Scott will probably be proven right, as the Lakers are targeting the 2018-19 season to return to dominance. Team president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka plan to be big players on the free-agent market next summer and want to land a big-name player or two.

Scott now serves as an analyst for ESPN and says he enjoys that job. In fact, he went as far as to say he has absolutely no plans to return to coaching any time soon:

"I've had enough of it," said Scott. "I'm enjoying the retired life and working at ESPN. I love that, and I'm going to continue to do that."

Based on his feud with Russell, it's unlikely Scott has received much interest from teams, but any interest would be unreturned if Scott is to be believed.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will continue to try to rebound in the post-Kobe Bryant era. After landing UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Lakers will likely experience some more growing pains this season.

However, the team has been linked to stars like Paul George and LeBron James, both of whom will be free agents next summer. Pairing one or both of those talented forwards with Ball would give the Lakers instant playoff credibility, as would another high draft pick.

After finishing 26-56 last season, the Lakers should be better this year, but a top-10 draft pick isn't out of the question. That could also come in handy on the trade market if the Lakers need to try to trade for some talent to go around the big-name free agents they plan to sign in 2018.