Los Angeles Lakers Granted Permission to Interview 5 Coaching Targets, Per Adrian Wojnarowski

According to Woj, the Los Angeles Lakers have now been given the green light to enter discussions with five candidates from around the NBA who currently work as assistant coaches for various teams:

Among the five candidates mentioned, it’s only James Borrego who has experience as a head coach. The 46-year-old, who is currently an assistant under Willie Green for the New Orleans Pelicans, used to be the head honcho for the Charlotte Hornets between 2018 and 2022.

Sam Cassell, however, is perhaps the most popular name among fans considering how the three-time NBA champion had a noteworthy playing career during his time in the league.

JJ Redick Still Remains the Frontrunner

Despite the multitude of interviews the front office will conduct, it appears that it’s still JJ Redick who’s leading the race. Several reports have indicated that the former player turned podcaster/ESPN broadcaster has established himself as the favorite to land the job.

This includes a report from Los Angeles Lakers insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic:

“I said last week in my mailbag that if I had to pick the candidate most likely to get the head coaching position, I would pick Redick. I stand by that; I still think he is the slight favorite among the candidate pool,” Buha said (h/t Josh Buckhalter of heavy).

“That could always change during the interview process. Maybe someone really impresses the Lakers and takes that designation from him. But right now I believe Redick is slightly ahead of the field. And if I was asked the question again today who the most likely hire is, I would pick Redick again.”