CHICAGO — JJ Redick, James Borrego and Sam Cassel have emerged as the team’s first potential targets as the Los Angeles Lakers begin contacting head coaching candidates and scheduling interviews this week, the league said. An official said. The Athletic.
The franchise’s next coach will be tasked with ushering in the end of the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era (possibly two years) and then the next era of Lakers basketball led by Davis. According to team and league officials, Los Angeles is focused on maximizing Davis’ greatness, currently returning players, and high-level player development elements to ensure the team’s success in the years to come. He is looking for a coach who can grow with him.
“This is going to be more of an AD hire than a LeBron hire,” said a source briefed on the situation.
The Lakers will conduct initial coaching interviews with candidates the team has not previously vetted, allowing team officials to get to know the person on a human level before moving on to the next phrase, league officials said. Stated.
Those sources say the Lakers are looking for a coach who can command the locker room, hold players accountable, relentlessly game plan, and provide a level of structure and organization.
One of the Lakers’ respected unofficial resources during this process is legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has worked with Redick and others, according to multiple sources briefed on the matter. He says his deep knowledge of the candidates provides a lens into the Lakers’ culture. What the organization is looking for and the characteristics of the candidates who will be around the next head coach. Krzyzewski and the Lakers’ history dates back to 2004, when Dr. Jerry Buss made a strong offer to hire Coach K but failed.
as The Athletic Following the firing of head coach Dervin Ham, reports say the Lakers’ first candidates are Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue (whose contract expires next season), Redick, and Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny. Atkinson and Mike Budenholzer (recently hired to replace Frank Vogel). Phoenix Suns head coach) and former Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee (who recently became head coach of the Charlotte Hornets).
Since then, Redick, a 39-year-old ESPN analyst and 15-year NBA veteran, has said: Borrego, 46, is an associate coach with the New Orleans Pelicans and previously coached the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets. And Cassel, 54, who spent 15 years as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics in the NBA, has emerged as the Lakers’ first potential target.
Other candidates include Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Mika Nori and Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn, according to league and team officials. It is expected.
Reddick has yet to coach above the youth level, making him the most unknown of the coaching candidates. He is the most positive of the candidates given his high-profile playing career, work as a media personality and recent podcast with James on “Mind the Game.”
Although he has little coaching experience at the NBA level, he is considered one of the most promising players on the market and has made it clear publicly and privately that he is highly motivated to make the leap to head coaching. Redick recently interviewed for the Hornets’ head coaching position and also interviewed for the Toronto Raptors’ season opener last offseason.
Borrego, New Orleans’ associate head coach under coach Willie Green, has been the driving force behind the Pelicans’ offensive line improving from 20th in points per 100 possessions in 2022-23 to 11th last season. He was one of the. Borrego led the Hornets to 43 wins in the final season of 2021-22 (still the most for the organization since the 2015-16 season). He compiled a 148-183 (.447) record over four seasons as head coach in Charlotte and 30 games as the Magic’s interim coach.
Cassel joined the Celtics staff last offseason and has coached under Flip Sanders, Randy Whitman, Doc Rivers and Joe Mazzula. He was one of Rivers’ primary assistants in nine of his 15 coaching seasons. Cassel is respected by his players and is highly regarded for his development of players. He won three championships as a player (Houston in 1994 and 1995, Boston in 2008).
as The Athletic It was reported after the Lakers’ Game 5 loss to the Nuggets that James is expected to play two more seasons in the NBA, a person briefed on his thoughts said. That means this would likely be the last coach of James’ career in a scenario where he re-signs with the Lakers.
Los Angeles is open to discussing any contract framework for James’ return and could potentially select Bronny James in next month’s NBA Draft, team officials said. Bronny James intends to remain in the draft and will participate in all pre-draft activities, starting with the combine in Chicago this week and his agent’s pro days in Los Angeles next week, before signing a list of interested teams. I plan to narrow it down to about a few teams.
(Top photo: Tyler Ross / NBAE via Getty Images)
