The first thing of consequence the Los Angeles Lakers will likely do this offseason is hire a new head coach after they fired Darvin Ham just over a week ago. This hire will at least somewhat dictate personnel moves they try to make this summer.
So far, the search doesn’t seem to be going extremely well. Tyronn Lue seems as if he will not be available, and Mike Budenholzer, the Lakers’ only other candidate who has won an NBA championship as a head coach, was just hired by the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, these developments have forced the team to look at its coaching search a little differently. He said Budenholzer would’ve been a strong candidate, but it isn’t a buyer’s market.
Wojnarowski also said JJ Redick, who has no real coaching experience and is currently co-hosting the “Mind the Game” podcast with LeBron James, has interest “from the L.A. side.”
.@wojespn on the Lakers’ head coach search:
– Expected to officially begin interview process at NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
– Los Angeles will interview an array of candidates with former head coach experience (James Borrego, Kenny Atkinson) or none at all (JJ Redick).
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 11, 2024
The ESPN reporter said the Lakers’ head coaching search will begin in earnest at the draft combine in Chicago. It starts Sunday and lasts for about a week.