Now that UConn's Dan Hurley is a no-go, the Los Angeles Lakers are left holding the bag ... for somebody. And maybe that dude will again be JJ Redick.
That's right, the fading Lakers are back to square one in their coaching search after being thwarted by Hurley, who is deciding to stay where he can, ya know, actually win championships. His best player won't be 40 years old, either.
Anyway, that leaves Redick and other potential candidates as Fallback Men.
Per Hoops Wire, yes, the Lakers could again zero in on Redick — the former NBA shooting guard, current ESPN studio analyst and friend of LeBron James.
The Lakers did, after all, remain engaged with their other candidates when courting Hurley, sources said.
But there are other reported candidates — from New Orleans Pelicans assistant and ex-Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego, to Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, to Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, and beyond.
Along with that, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that a "well-placed" source suggested the Lakers could pursue former Villanova coach Jay Wright.
As for Redick, there has been talk that star big man Anthony Davis would actually prefer Borrego.
"It has been suggested in some corners of the league that Lakers star big man Anthony Davis probably prefers for James Borrego to get the job over Redick," Stein wrote. "Not only has Borrego been a head coach twice already in Orlando and Charlotte compared to Redick's lack of head coaching experience, but he and Davis overlapped briefly during Borrego's first stint with the Pelicans after Davis was drafted No. 1 overall in June 2012."
Redick, of course, has no head-coaching experience. He has spent the past few seasons as a broadcast analyst for ESPN — and just recently started a podcast with James. But it's been said that James is staying out of the coaching search.
Another report suggested that Borrego may be in line to become an assistant with the Lakers should Redick get the job. But that doesn't seem really likely, according to Stein.
"As first reported here May 27, it's now an open secret in league coaching circles that the Lakers would still want Borrego on the coaching staff if Redick indeed proves to be their choice to take over as head coach," Stein wrote. "Yet I've heard skepticism about the Pelicans' readiness to let Borrego, currently associate head coach in New Orleans under Willie Green, make that sort of lateral move while still under contract. Can the Lakers get Borrego if they don't make him the head coach?"
Borrego, 46, reportedly has also interviewed with Cleveland and is considered a top candidate with the Cavaliers — perhaps at the very top.
Before joining Green and the Pelicans, he served as head coach of the Hornets, compiling a 138-163 record from 2018-22. The Hornets improved by 10 wins in each of Borrego's final three seasons.
Redick, 39, played 15 years in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks. He's 18th in NBA history in 3-point field goal percentage (41.5%).
