The Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach search is heating up, with several candidates ‘expected to interview’ for the vacancy next week, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania (h/t Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports).
Candidates expected to interview for the Lakers’ head coach opening next week, per @ShamsCharania on @PatMcAfeeShow:
Kenny Atkinson
JJ Redick
David Adelman
James BorregoLos Angeles is expected to conduct a very thorough search. pic.twitter.com/0uSp1UAbPj
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 10, 2024
With L.A. hoping to convince LeBron James to retire a Laker, this hire is particularly important.
James can become a free agent this summer if he declines his player option for the 2024-25 season. The Philadelphia 76ers are the only championship-contender currently projected to have enough cap space to sign James. However, multiple contenders will be willing to reshuffle their roster to make room for him.
Here’s more on the Lakers’ purported head coach candidates:
JJ Redick
Former Lakers head coach Byron Scott doesn’t see it happening. Nonetheless, basketball analyst and former 3-point specialist JJ Redick is regarded as a serious contender for L.A.’s coaching gig. While having no coaching experience above the youth level, he’s a high-level basketball mind who would be making the same jump as Steve Kerr if hired by the Lakers.
Another former player, Kerr spent several years as a broadcast analyst for TNT. Despite having no coaching experience, the Golden State Warriors hired Kerr in 2014. The rest is history, as he’s won four titles since then. L.A. would hope to recreate that magic with Redick.
David Adelman
Denver Nuggets lead assistant David Adelman has been coaching since 2011. He’s been on the Nuggets bench since 2017. This is one of the reasons that he’s an attractive head coach candidate. He’s had a behind-the-scenes look at how the Nuggets have become a perennial championship contender. Considering how well Denver has played against L.A. the last couple of seasons, he might help the Lakers might find their missing ingredient.
Adelman also coached for the Minnesota Timberwolves for five seasons, primarily learning under his Hall of Fame father. Adelman’s father is one of 10 head coaches to win 1,000 games, taking the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice.
Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson is a respected coach with ample experience. He’s spent the last three seasons coaching under Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors. The season prior, he coached under Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue. Both opportunities gave Atkinson an opportunity to learn from head coaches who have won NBA championships, particularly his three seasons with Kerr.
However, Atkinson also has head coaching experience. Taking over for a rebuilding Brooklyn Nets team, he went 118-190 in four seasons, leading them to the playoffs in 2019. In that time, he was regarded as a culture-builder.
James Borrego
James Borrego hasn’t been a head coach since 2021-22. When he was last seen in that role, he was roaming the sideline for the Charlotte Hornets. In four seasons with the woebegone franchise, he went 138-163, bringing his career record to 148-183.
Borrego is somewhat of a popular head coach candidate. He spent three seasons learning under legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. He also coached the Hornets to a top-10 offense in his final season with Charlotte. However, his teams often lacked discipline and competitiveness as he failed to hold them accountable.
Now the associate head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, Borrego may have improved since then.
