According to NBA reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers want James Borrego and Sam Cassell on JJ Redick’s staff as top assistants.
The Lakers are widely expected to hire Redick as their next head coach.
“Additionally, there is the matter of Redick’s coaching staff,” Buha wrote. “Assistant coaching candidates will include Borrego, Cassell, former Laker Rajon Rondo, former Laker and current Dallas Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and former head coach and assistant Scott Brooks, according to league sources. If the Lakers hire Redick, they’d prefer to have Borrego and Cassell on Redick’s staff as top assistants, according to those sources.”
Redick and Lakers star LeBron James co-host the “Mind The Game” podcast. LeBron has made it known that he is staying out of Los Angeles’ coaching search.
Redick has yet to coach above the youth level. He played 15 years in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
“Redick is aware of the challenges that come with both the Lakers’ position and being a first-time NBA head coach, but he is willing to embrace them and is preparing accordingly, according to league sources,” Buha wrote. “That proactive approach, combined with his potential and personality, is why he’s the Lakers’ front-runner.”
The Lakers went 47-35 this season. They lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs in five games.
Denver also eliminated Los Angeles in the 2023 Western Conference Finals in four games.
The leading scorer in NBA history, LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason by declining his 2024-25 player option worth $51.4 million. He’s expected to remain with the Lakers.
The Lakers fired Darvin Ham as their head coach after two seasons. Ham went 90-74 in the regular season and 9-12 in the postseason.
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This reminds me of David Blatt having to hire Ty Lue and John Beilein having to hire JB Bick and there’s other ones. If your not gonna let JJ pick his own staff he might as well bring LBJ and come on east back to The Land.