The Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham nearly six weeks ago but are still searching for their next head coach. They were spurned by Dan Hurley, who said no to a six-year, $70 million offer to choose to stay at the University of Connecticut. Now, it appears the franchise is back to square one as it gets set to officially interview ESPN broadcaster JJ Redick.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the former NBA guard has had conversations with LA General Manager and Vice President Rob Pelinka, but this will be the first in-person opportunity for the two, along with team owner Jeanie Buss, to meet face-to-face and delve deeper into the job.
But regardless of how the interview goes, the Lakers need to offer Redick the job, even if it means giving him the kind of money they were ready to offer Hurley.
They have no other choice.
The Lakers desperately need to seduce JJ Redick into becoming their next head coach
Hurley was LA’s white whale, according to Woj. When he refused to make the jump from college to the NBA, the Lakers were forced to retreat and decide where to go next.
The two top candidates after Hurley’s decision, per reports, were Redick and New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego. Borrego just interviewed with the Cleveland Cavaliers and was named a potential leading candidate to land that job.
It should come as no surprise that Borrego was publicly named a leading candidate for the Lakers’ opening a day later.
Pelinka and Buss are scrambling. Other potential options such as Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell are still available, but Hurley, Redick and Borrego appear to have been LA’s top choices for weeks.
One said no and another may be about to accept a different offer.
Pelinka and Buss must come to the realization that the mighty Los Angeles Lakers are no longer an irresistible coaching destination.
With an old LeBron James and his checkered history with head coaches; the immense pressure that comes with the job; the fact that no coach has lasted more than three seasons without being fired since Phil Jackson retired in 2011; and the team’s reluctance to offer candidates top head coaching money, no one is ready to jump at the chance to grab the top job in LA.
Redick is the Lakers’ best option as someone who already has a relationship with LeBron and could be desperate enough to break into coaching that he’ll accept the position.
Pelinka and Buss need to do whatever they can to land Redick. If they don’t, not only will the optics look terrible, they’ll likely end up with a coach incapable of leading the Lakers to a title – if they’re not at that point already.
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