The Los Angeles Lakers have taken their time hiring their next head coach after firing Darvin Ham on May 3. While the organization has held several interviews, JJ Redick appears to be in a strong position to land the job. Jovan Buha of The Athletic shared that the former 15-year NBA veteran is the frontrunner to fill the vacancy.
Speaking to Elex Michaelson of FOX 11 Los Angeles, Buha stated:
All signs point towards JJ Redick likely becoming the Lakers next head coach. He’s been the frontrunner in league circles for the past two to three weeks. All the buzz has been about JJ Redick likely being the next coach.
They’ve compared him internally to Pat Riley, a young Pat Riley, who made the jump from a color commentator to assistant coach and then, shortly after that, head coach. So, they’re high on JJ Redick. They’re infatuated by his potential and it does seem like this is the way that it’s trending.
While Redick does not have previous coaching experience, he is viewed as one of the best minds in the sport. The 2006 national college player of the year serves on ESPN‘s lead broadcast team and will work the NBA Finals. He also co-hosts the Mind the Game podcast with Lakers star LeBron James.
Los Angeles Lakers could bring in a star-studded coaching staff to help JJ Redick
The Los Angeles Lakers relived their entire coaching staff of their duties shortly after firing Darvin Ham. The franchise may be in line to field a star-studded coaching staff if they hire JJ Redick. Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times shared some of the candidates being considered, writing:
Rumors of the Lakers’ staffing plans have run throughout the league during the past two weeks, with some names most commonly mentioned including former head coach Scott Brooks and assistants Sam Cassell and Jared Dudley.
Cassell spoke to Pelinka about the Lakers’ head coaching position during a video call prior to this week, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. Ex-Lakers guard Rajon Rondo has also been under consideration.
Former Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean, who worked in Dallas for Jason Kidd two seasons ago and with Frank Vogel in Phoenix last season, is another name commonly mentioned in staffing discussions. [h/t Los Angeles Times]
Woike noted that James Borrego – who has interviewed for the head coaching job – is a candidate to be hired as an assistant coach if Redick is named head coach. While the former Duke Blue Devils star does not have coaching experience, the Lakers seem prepared to support him with a strong staff if he does receive the job.
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