JJ Redick, James Borrego and Sam Cassell have emerged as the Lakers' initial primary targets as the Los Angeles Lakers begin contacting head coaching candidates and arranging interviews this week, league sources told The Athletic. .
The next head coach of the Lakers will be tasked with guiding the end of the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era (with a possible two-year window) and the next era of Lakers basketball led by Davis. According to team and league sources, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for a coach who can grow with the team in the next few years. They attach great importance to maximizing the role of Davis, the return of the current core players and a high level of performance. Player development.
As one source with knowledge of the situation said: "This should be more of a coaching hire for AD than LeBron."
League sources said the Lakers are expected to make a first-round selection of candidates they have not previously vetted Coaching interviews allow team brass to get to know these individuals on a personalized basis before moving on to the next step.
According to these sources, the Lakers are looking for a coach who will control the locker room and hold players accountable, work tirelessly on game plans and provide a level of structure and organization to the team.
Multiple people familiar with the matter revealed that during this process, one person became a highly respected unofficial resource for the Lakers. He was the legendary coach of Duke University Mike Krzyzewski, who expressed his opinions on candidates such as Redick. This in-depth look provides a professional perspective on the culture the team wants and the potential traits of its next head coach. The relationship between Coach K and the Lakers can be traced back to 2004, when Dr. Jerry Buss strongly requested to hire Coach K, but ultimately failed.
According to the athletic report, after the Lakers fired coach Darwin Hamm, the first preliminary candidates for the Lakers head coach are Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue (the contract expires next season), Redick, Golden State Warriors assistant coaches Kenny Atkinson, Mike Budenholzer (recently succeeded Frank Vogel as Phoenix Suns coach) and former Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee (recently became Charlotte Hornets coach).
Since then, Redick, a 39-year-old ESPN analyst with a 15-year NBA career, Borrego, a 46-year-old New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach who has coached Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets, and 54 Cassell, a 15-year-old Boston Celtics assistant coach and former assistant coach with a 15-year NBA career, became the Lakers' initial main target.
According to league and team sources, Denver Nuggets Assistant Coach David Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves Assistant Coach Micah Norrie and Miami Heat Assistant Coach Chris Quinn are expected to be other candidates. .
Redick has yet to coach a team above the youth level, making him the biggest unknown among coaching candidates. He's the most forward-thinking of the candidates given his high-profile playing career, experience as a media personality and recent collaboration with James on the "Mind the Game" podcast.
Despite his lack of NBA-level coaching experience, he is considered one of the top coaching prospects on the market, and he has made it clear publicly and privately that he is eager to make the leap to a head coach. Redick recently interviewed for the Hornets head coaching position and interviewed for the Toronto Raptors head coaching vacancy last offseason.
Borrego, the New Orleans Pelicans' top assistant under Willie Green, was one of the main driving forces behind the Pelicans' improvement from 20th in points per 100 possessions in the 2022-23 season to 11th last season. Borrego led the Hornets to 43 wins in his final season in 2021-22 (still the most wins for the Hornets since the 2015-16 season). In four-plus seasons as Charlotte's head coach and 30 games as the Magic's interim head coach, he has a 148-183 record (44.7% winning percentage).
Cassell, who joined the Celtics last offseason, served as an assistant coach under Flip Saunders, Randy Wittman, Doc Rivers and Joe Mazzula. In 9 of the 15 seasons that Rivers coached, he was one of Rivers' main assistants. Cassell is well respected by his players and has an excellent reputation for player development. As a player, he won three championships (1994 and 1995 with Houston; 2008 with Boston).
As The Athletic reported after the Lakers' Game 5 loss to the Nuggets, a source familiar with James' thinking revealed that James is expected to play two more NBA seasons. This means that if James re-signs with the Lakers, this coach will likely be the last coach of his career.
The Los Angeles Lakers are willing to discuss any trade framework for James' return, as well as the possibility of recruiting Bronny James in next month's NBA draft, according to team sources. Bronny James intends to stay in the draft and participate in all pre-draft activities, starting with this week's combine in Chicago and continuing with an agency open house in Los Angeles next week before narrowing the list of interested teams to a handful. Several.
