Sources close to the situation speaking on the condition of anonymity say the Los Angeles Lakers are operating with the understanding that Tyronn Lue will not be available this offseason and have zeroed in on JJ Redick as their next head coach. Previously, it was thought they would not move forward with anyone until they got clarity on that situation. Sources say the Lakers have gotten that clarity to the extent that they can without breaking tampering rules and are now moving on.
For their part, the Los Angeles Clippers have been waiting on the Lakers to hire a head coach, as it would take leverage from Lue’s side of those negotiations. League sources have indicated consistently since the end of the Clippers season that Lue is not going anywhere.
It was reported last week that the Lakers would begin the interview process with all their candidates. They have since received the necessary permissions to interview assistant coaches on staffs currently in the playoffs.
Sources say the Lakers are approaching their sit-down with Redick hoping to be wowed. As Redick has thrived as a podcaster and television analyst, indications at this time are that he will likely do just that, and the Lakers will look to move quickly in hiring him.
While they have seen Redick as their preferred candidate for upward of a week now, sources say they will still go through the interview process with all their candidates with an open mind. It is no guarantee Redick is going to be hired, but the feeling is it’s his job to lose.
James Borrego, Kenny Atkinson, David Adelman, Micah Nori and Chris Quinn have all been mentioned as candidates for this position, but a sizable gap has developed between Redick and the rest of the group.
After Darvin Ham lasted only two seasons as a rookie head coach, potentially hiring Redick with no coaching experience has people around the league scratching their heads. Though one Eastern Conference executive has a theory on why they might head in this direction:
