The Los Angeles Lakers are slowly, but surely, inching closer to hiring their next head coach. They have reportedly interviewed Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego and former 3-point specialist JJ Redick. More interviews are set to take place in the coming days.
While Redick seems to be the favorite to land the job, the Lakers are reportedly going through the interview process with an open mind.
Many are wondering if Redick is a candidate because of his relationship with LeBron James. The two co-host the “Mind the Game” podcast, and James has a reputation for wielding his power to get his team to acquiesce to his wishes.
According to Dan Woike, while James “isn’t dictating anything to the Lakers,” both James and Anthony Davis will need to sign off on whomever the Lakers want to hire to be their next head coach (h/t Ahn Fire Digital).
Via Los Angeles Times:
“A person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak on the record said James and Davis eventually will need to sign off on the coaching hire,” wrote Woike. “It’s a practice that’s widely accepted around the NBA, star players operating more as stakeholders than employees when it comes to finding a partner to work from the bench.”
There have also been reports this hire will be more about Davis, who is 31 years of age, than about the 39-year-old James. For years, the plan has been to gradually shift the burden of the team over to Davis, and with James approaching his 22nd NBA season, this appears to be the time to accelerate that process.