The first important offseason task for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is finding a new head coach who can get them back into championship contention. Coming off a disappointing first-round exit, L.A. needs to re-evaluate every aspect of the team if they wish to cash in on another ring with the LeBron James and Anthony Davis core.
But getting this coaching hire right will set the tone for the rest of the summer. General manager Rob Pelinka has been unable to find a steady voice in his time with the organization as he has moved off of Luke Walton, Frank Vogel and most recently Darvin Ham.
With still plenty of time to fill this vacancy, it is being reported that the Lakers will kick off their coaching interviews this week as the Draft Combine kicks off in Chicago, via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to start contacting coaching candidates in the coming days with an initial concentration on sitting assistants and ex-head coaches with whom they have less familiarity, sources told ESPN on Monday.
Some of the candidates include JJ Redick, James Borrego, David Adelman, Micah Nori and Kenny Atkinson. The Lakers’ top option would likely be Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyron Lue, who is awaiting a possible extension but is not officially off the board yet.
It is also being reported that the Lakers will take their time with this hire as this is arguably the most important choice of the offseason. They are expected to begin with some of the candidates they are not yet familiar with:
Lakers VP of Basketball Operations and GM Rob Pelinka has been gathering information on a number of head coaching candidates, including ESPN analyst JJ Redick, but the initial wave of requests for interview permission will be with those candidates with whom the organization hadn’t met with in precious searches, or simply know less than other candidates, sources said.
Ultimately, this new head coach has a short window to win a championship with the James and Davis duo, so Pelinka and company have to be certain about this candidate’s ability to hang another banner in L.A.
Lakers ‘intrigued’ with JJ Redick in head coaching search
At this point, there is some traction with ESPN analyst Redick being arguably at the top of the list of all the Lakers’ candidates. A factor could be Redick and James hosting a podcast together, clearly showcasing some chemistry with one another and an ability to see the game in a similar fashion.
L.A. was not the only team who had an eye on Redick, as the Charlotte Hornets interviewed him and was the runner-up to the job. However, the Lakers organization is ‘intrigued’ with the 15-year NBA veteran in their head coaching search and will likely learn more about him in the interview process.
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