The Los Angeles Lakers are focusing on JJ Redick as the front-runner to be the franchise’s next head coach, league and media industry sources said. The athlete.
No final decision has been made yet, and the Lakers still have steps remaining in the search for a head coach, league sources said. But the indications are strong that Redick is their first choice at this stage.
The Lakers’ search has focused seriously on two candidates — Redick and Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego — over the past two weeks, league sources said.
Redick was the first candidate to hold a face-to-face meeting with the Lakers three weeks ago, and Borrego interviewed in person with Lakers officials for the second time last week and the franchise has been impressed with him in the process. According to team sources. Anthony Davis and Borrego, who briefly overlapped in New Orleans, have also built a relationship recently.
Redick, a media analyst, is serving as color commentator for the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday night in Boston, reinforcing belief in the NBA that the potential hiring will be made official and announced after the series.
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The Lakers interviewed several other candidates as well, including Celtics assistant Sam Cassel, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Timberwolves assistant Mika Nouri and Nuggets assistant David Adelman.
One person who has become a respected unofficial resource for the Lakers during the process is legendary former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose deep knowledge of candidates, like Redick and others, provides a lens into the organization’s culture, multiple sources familiar with the matter said. Prospective employees’ desires and characteristics about the next head coach.
Krzyzewski’s history with the Lakers dates back to 2004 when Dr. Jerry Buss made an aggressive but unsuccessful bid to hire Coach K. Redick played with Krzyzewski at Duke from 2002-06.
The Lakers were looking for a coach with the potential and staying power to be the team’s president now and long-term, someone who would lead the locker room and hold the players accountable, as well as tirelessly plan the game and provide a level of structure and organization to it, according to those sources. Those sources said he believes the franchise views Reddick as a candidate who can check those boxes.
Sources described Lakers officials as “fascinated” by Bardick and his potential as a coach.
Reddick has yet to coach above the youth level. He’s the most likely frontrunner given his high-profile playing career, work as a media personality and his recent podcast “Mind the Game” with LeBron James. However, James announced that he will stay out of the team’s coaching hunt, according to people involved with the matter.
Redick played 15 seasons in the NBA with six teams, most notably the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers. A popular shooter, he averaged a career-high 12.8 points per game on 41.5 percent three-point shooting, 44.7 percent from the field and 89.2 percent from the free throw line.
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