IF THE Lakers were to hire a coach tomorrow, it would be JJ Redick, according to ESPN and Stadium.
Mr. Redick and New Orleans Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego were previously reported to be the leading candidates to replace Darvin Ham as head coach of the Lakers, but Los Angeles hasn’t completed its interview process, according to The Athletic.
Even so, the current leader in the clubhouse is Mr. Redick. The Athletic’s sources have said that the Lakers are “zeroing in” on Mr. Redick, 39, and that he is considered “the front-runner.”
A former Duke 3-point marksman who spent 15 years in the NBA, Mr. Redick is employed by ESPN in a broadcasting role and launched a podcast with Lakers forward LeBron James, “Mind the Game.”
He also interviewed with the Hornets to become a first-time head coach and was in the running to replace Nick Nurse with the Toronto Raptors last summer.
Redick, who will be covering the NBA Finals for ESPN over the coming days, has a history playing under former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has been an “unofficial” resource for the Lakers during the hiring process.
The Lakers are not afraid to turn to former players as coaches and can point to the strong success of NBA Finals head coaches Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics and Jason Kidd of the Mavericks — not to mention Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors — as recent examples that would align with the Redick move. — Reuters
