Lou Lamoriello, one of the most successful and powerful sports executives of the past decade, is unlikely to return as chief executive of the Nets next season, according to top executives and investors in the YankeeNets sports company.

Lamoriello, who also is general manager of the Devils, has run the two teams since 2001 and is just a handful of victories away from seeing both play for league championships.

Despite the current success of the teams and his track record, Lamoriello has become a victim of the growing friction in the sports company. That friction, according to the same executives and investors, has been sparked by financial losses and a clash of personalities in the board room.