Over a week after the Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham, the search for their next head coach is starting to ramp up.
With many around the NBA present at the draft combine in Chicago, the Lakers are starting to make concrete plans to interview candidates for their head coaching vacancy.
A few men are topping their list of candidates, including James Borrego, who was the Charlotte Hornets’ head coach for four seasons, and former sharpshooter JJ Redick.
According to a report from The Athletic, another leading candidate has emerged: Sam Cassell.
Via The Athletic.
“As the Los Angeles Lakers begin contacting head coaching candidates and scheduling interviews this week, JJ Redick, James Borrego and Sam Cassell have emerged as the franchise’s initial leading targets, league sources told The Athletic,” wrote Shams Charania and Jovan Buha.
Cassell was a very solid point guard during his 15-year playing career. He started it by winning back-to-back NBA championships with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995 and ended it with another ring as a member of the Boston Celtics in 2008.
Shortly after ending his playing career, he became an assistant coach, and he has served in that capacity for the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. He is an assistant under Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla as the team looks to get back to the NBA Finals.