With the Dan Hurley bombshell dropping Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers must now look in another direction to fill their head coaching vacancy. Although JJ Redick has been a popular name thrown around in rumors, there are several other viable and more experienced options on the table.
The Lakers are looking at an extensive list of assistant coaches in addition to Redick, via ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
“The Lakers resume their search and will continue to bring in previous candidates, including New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman and JJ Redick, sources said,” Bontemps wrote.
Redick continues to be the most controversial option, as the former Philadelphia 76er has no coaching experience at any level.
“Redick, who hosts a podcast with [LeBron] James and interviewed for the Toronto Raptors' coaching job in 2023, spent more than a decade as one of the NBA's best shooters,” Bontemps continued.
If Los Angeles hired Redick, it would look questionable due to his relationship with James. “LeGM” already has a reputation for pressuring his team's front office into doing what he wants, so it would look like he pulled strings behind the scenes to work with his friend.
Borrego, on the other hand, would be a safer option.
“Borrego helped New Orleans jump from 20th to 11th in offensive efficiency this season after overseeing 10-win improvements in each of his final three seasons with Charlotte from 2020 to '22,” Bontemps said. “He was also the Orlando Magic's interim coach in 2015 and spent several years under Gregg Popovich as an assistant in San Antonio.”
Will the Lakers hire a seasoned option like him, or will they make the headline-grabbing move?
The Lakers must make a rational decision
To be fair, Los Angeles has done their due diligence, as it had previously been interested in reuniting James with former Cleveland Cavaliers boss Tyronn Lue.
“LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had been previously named as a potential candidate, given his championship history with James — they won the 2016 NBA title together and reached three Finals with Cleveland,” Bontemps said. “However, Lue finalized a new deal with the Clippers on May 29.”
With the Lakers striking out on both Lue and Hurley, they'll now look at their backup options. General manager Rob Pelinka has to get it right, or his job may be in jeopardy within the next couple of years.
As far as rankings go, Borrego, Cassel, and Adelman are all on similar footing. However, Borrego gets the nod for the top spot, as he's the only one of the three with NBA head coaching experience.
Even he might turn down the Purple and Gold, though, via ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
“Other candidates that they're interested in, are moving on elsewhere,” said Windhorst. “So James Borrego, who they interviewed about 10 days ago, he's getting momentum in Cleveland. He's expected to interview there early this week as a potential leading candidate developing with the Cavs.”
Adelman and Cassell are tied for the second-best options. Adelman has been assistant coaching in the NBA since 2011 and helped guide the Nuggets to a championship last season. Meanwhile, Cassell has been at it since 2009 and is two wins away from winning a ring with Boston.
Regardless, Redick is the weakest option out of all of these names by far. LeBron bias aside, it's irresponsible for the league's most iconic franchise to hire someone who's never even coached elementary school.
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