The Lakers appear to have a specific candidate in mind for their vacant head coaching position.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Los Angeles is currently “targeting” JJ Redick as the front-runner for the position, but a final decision has yet to be made by Lakers brass.
A new report suggests Los Angeles still has steps to take in its coaching search.
Redick’s name has been floated in connection with the vacant head coaching position for some time, with Charania reporting that a source said the Lakers are “in love” with the former NBA player.
Los Angeles is reportedly focused on two candidates — Redick and Pelicans assistant head coach James Borrego — but has also interviewed several candidates, including Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Timberwolves assistant Micah Noli and Nuggets assistant David Adelman.
Reddick has never held a coaching position outside of youth-level sports, but he is respected for his knowledge of the sport.
He played in the NBA for 15 years after being drafted by the Magic in 2006, averaging 12.8 points and shooting 44.7 percent from the field.
Since retiring from the NBA, Redick has parlayed his playing days into a successful career in the media industry, currently working on ESPN’s top broadcasting team.
He also hosts two podcasts, one of which is with Lakers superstar LeBron James.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Redick’s podcast if he takes a coaching job, but former NBA player Udonis Haslem previously suggested Redick’s hiring away from being a media personality could create a “cynical locker room.”
“There’s going to be some guys that say, ‘Coach is going to do a podcast with LeBron after the game?’ There’s going to be a cynical atmosphere in the locker room with guys that are going to doubt everything JJ says, because they’re going to wonder if it’s JJ’s message or LeBron’s message,” Haslem said in May.
Charania previously reported that James would not be involved in the hiring of Los Angeles’ next head coach.
