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The Los Angeles Lakers have the most prominent coaching vacancy in the NBA, and it sounds like they may be particularly interested in one somewhat surprising candidate.
In an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Countdown Saturday, Wojnarowski suggested the Lakers have been doing their homework on ESPN broadcaster JJ Redick, and that he is in serious consideration for the head-coaching job. Wojnarowski did add, however, that the search is expected to be wide open.
"That takes [Jason Kidd] certainly off of the Lakers wishlist."
@wojespn on Jason Kidd's extension with the Mavs and an update on the Lakers' coaching search
pic.twitter.com/aOMy8PV8UC
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 11, 2024
“One name that the Lakers had been drilling down on in their initial research here: JJ Redick, our colleague at ESPN,” Wojnarowski said. “He is certainly somebody that the Lakers are intrigued with. They’ve been making a lot of calls to try to learn more about him.”
Redick has been linked to a few jobs this offseason despite his lack of experience, but the Lakers are certainly the most notable. It is also worth pointing out that Redick co-hosts a podcast with LeBron James, which has sparked some theories that James is actually feeling Redick out as a potential coach. A James endorsement would certainly go a long way toward getting Redick the job, even though the prevailing wisdom was that the Lakers might look for a more experienced coach in this search.
Several other experienced names have been linked to the Lakers after the team fired Darvin Ham following their first round exit. Redick is not one of them, but with the likes of Mike Budenholzer off the market, he seems to be a real candidate.
More must-reads:
- 'Great mind': One-time NBA champion endorses candidate for Lakers HC job
- Former Lakers HC calls for LeBron James to take over for Darvin Ham
- The 'NBA fathers & sons' quiz
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Celtics Rumors: NBA Insider Reveals What Anfernee Simons Trade Could Look Like
The Boston Celtics acquired Anfernee Simons in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. They got him in return for Jrue Holiday as the Celtics started their salary-shedding spree. Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were the first two trade casualties with the Celtics in terms of shedding the salary. Simons also makes a lot of money, though. Even though he's an expiring contract, he is still set to make $27.6 million next season. If the Celtics were going to move him, one insider revealed what a possible trade involving him could look like. More news: Celtics Set to Close Record Franchise Sale This Summer: Report The Celtics might have to add a draft pick to any Anfernee Simons trade According to Jay King of The Athletic, the Celtics might have to add a draft pick to any trade they put Simons into. "At this point, I don’t think it’s a matter of how much draft capital the Celtics would get for trading Simons. It’s a matter of how much draft capital they would have to give up. He doesn’t seem to have a strong market." If Boston really doesn't want to pay his expiring salary this year, they might have to add some draft capital to sweeten the deal. Boston probably doesn't feel they should have to do that. Simons has proven that he is a very talented scorer in the NBA. While he was in Portland, he showed the ability to get hot from beyond the 3-point arc. He's someone who can score at all three levels, too. More news: Former Celtics Big Man Joins West Squad in Surprise Role The Celtics might end up keeping Simons because of the fact that they would have to add some draft capital to a trade. "While Stevens has made it clear he does not want to part ways with significant draft assets to cut salary, it would be helpful to get out of the luxury tax and begin the process of resetting the repeater tax if a feasible path to do so exists." If the Celtics are going to be able to shed salary elsewhere, they might end up keeping Simons. Adding any draft capital is only a last resort for Stevens. Simons averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game with the Trail Blazers. Latest Celtics News For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.
Ottawa Senators Predicted to Land Penguins Star
The NHL offseason has slowed down a bit, but there are still moves to be made from a few teams. Every year, there are late offseason moves that tend to heavily impact the playoff race. One team that could still add is the Ottawa Senators, since they still need another piece for the upcoming season. Ottawa has been linked to a few players this summer, with the front office discussing different deals. The Senators were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Pittsburgh Penguins star Rickard Rakell by NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report. Ottawa could be a solid place for Rakell if the Penguins do trade him. "The Senators finally played their way back into a playoff spot in 2024-25, earning their first trip to the postseason since their 2016-17 Eastern Conference Finals run. "The big hang-up might be Ottawa's lack of a first-round pick in 2026 and a weak farm system that is lacking in top prospects. From a hockey standpoint, the Senators are a good match for Rakell. Logistically, they may not have the assets the Penguins would want," wrote Gretz. Rakell could help boost the Senators' offense, helping the team become even more formidable in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa made a surprising playoff appearance last season, and the team should be going all-in to go after a Stanley Cup title. The Penguins star put up 35 goals and 35 assists last season for Pittsburgh, and he could massively boost this team. Nobody on the Senators came close to these totals, so this could be a real difference-maker of a trade. Ottawa is finally back to being relevant in the East, and the front office has wanted to keep adding pieces. Bringing Rakell to town could be the answer, especially with the Penguins reportedly acting as sellers this offseason.
Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore, who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of, but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
Steelers Offensive Line Coach Pat Meyer Reveals Root Of Zach Frazier's Concerning Issues
The Pittsburgh Steelers went into training camp expecting growth from all of their players, no matter how well they did in the previous year. However, concerns grew quickly about second-year center Zach Frazier, as his ability to snap the ball became inconsistent. Luckily, he seems to have fixed those problems as they have not flared up for about a week and a half. Pittsburgh can't afford to have its star center forget the basics and go into a deep sophomore slump. He needs to be on top of his game for the offense to thrive. While having a conversation with Tim Benz of TribLive, Offensive Line Coach Pat Meyer explained why Frazier was unable to properly snap the ball and what they did to fix it. "That’s early camp stuff that we don’t want," Meyer said. "Especially when you played all those games he had that were early on. It was always the first play of the first team period. Whether that’s him thinking too much, trying to add things to his technique in terms like throwing hands and doing some things had him maybe a little bit off kilter." It sounds like the excitement just got the best of Frazier during those rough practices, so he had to be told to slow things down and focus on getting the snap right first. You can't rush a play like that and risk giving the ball away on something so simple and mundane. Just get the ball to the quarterback, but not too hard of course, and then focus on your blocking assignment. Frazier had that problem early in the 2024 season, but managed to clean it up eventually. That won't be tolerated in his second year in the league. Frazier was actually already benched in training camp briefly, and it could happen again, especially with a very demanding quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Even though those issues have not happened again in several days, Meyer still seems annoyed about them happening in the first place. He explained his frustrating conversations with Frazier after plays kept getting botched. "We had a conversation about it, and that’s done. It’s over with," Meyer said. "We’re not having any more. We’re not doing it anymore. He’s obviously diligent about it, so he doesn’t make any of those mistakes. And we can’t have those mistakes. He’s been solid the last two weeks now." Working with Rodgers can be both exciting and scary, but Frazier just needs to settle down and treat him like he's any other quarterback. It doesn't matter what voice is calling out the cadences; he just needs to know the play and get the ball to him 100% of the time like he would with anyone else standing behind him. He will probably be hiking the football to a new signal-caller in 2026 as Rodgers has made it known this could be his final season in the NFL, so Frazier better learn to deal with the early-season jitters. Steelers' Offensive Line Will Be Key To Success Rodgers has recently had a lot of struggles when pressured, as he has become one of the worst passers in the NFL against the blitz. Meyer's unit needs to gel together and develop quickly as one if they want to keep their passer upright in the pocket, especially with the pass rush from the outside. That is the key to success for 2025. Of course, it all begins with a perfect quarterback/center exchange on every single play.
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