Report: Lakers ‘infatuated’ with one head coach candidate

The Los Angeles Lakers are conducting a thorough search for their new head coach, and there is a chance one candidate could be separating himself from the rest.

According to the latest report from Jovan Buha and Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers remain high on ESPN analyst and former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick. The team is said to view Redick as “a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect” and believes the 39-year-old could win with the current Lakers core while helping the franchise transition into the post-LeBron James era.

Riley was 36 and just four years removed from playing when the Lakers named him head coach in 1981. He was incredibly successful and led the team to four NBA titles during their “Showtime” era.

Redick and James recently launched their “Mind the Game” podcast together, which is a big reason many believe Redick is a favorite to land the Lakers job. However, LeBron has reportedly tried to distance himself from the coaching search and is not pushing for L.A. to hire Redick.

Redick does not have any coaching experience, but he played in the league for 14 seasons from 2006-2021. He interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets job and has been considered for other previous vacancies.

The Lakers have met with several candidates and do not appear to be in a rush to make a decision. In addition to Redick, one well-known former head coach is also receiving legitimate consideration.