The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has not gone as planned as they are hoping to have someone in place by the NBA Draft and are running out of time to do so.
The search took a turn last week when it became known that they were pursuing UConn head coach Dan Hurley, only to eventually be turned down.
That put Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and the rest of the Lakers brass back at square one with the expectation being that they would circle back to some of their original candidates like JJ Redick and James Borrego. They obviously weren’t in love with any of the candidates though considering they went on an all-out chase for Hurley.
Borrego is the only known candidate that completed two interviews with the Lakers, so there obviously is at least some mutual interest there. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Borrego is currently viewed as the leading candidate:
Borrego has also been categorized by league personnel as a leading candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching job, although Los Angeles’ search has been muddied by an unsuccessful pursuit of UConn head coach Dan Hurley. Borrego has been credited with boosting New Orleans’ offensive approach during this past season while aiding Willie Green’s staff.
The Lakers have some competition if they want to hire Borrego as he has also been speaking with the Cleveland Cavaliers and may be their leading candidate as well.
Losing out on their top two candidates of course wouldn’t be ideal for the Lakers, although there are still others in the mix with Redick currently being the betting favorite.
Regardless, things should start to pick up quickly in the Lakers’ search and Borrego may have a tough decision to make if he is offered both the Cleveland and L.A. jobs. He has previous head coaching experience but did not last long with the Charlotte Hornets so will want to ensure he makes the best long-term decision for him and his family.
Lakers star Anthony Davis may prefer James Borrego
One person whose opinion is said to be valued in the Lakers’ coaching search is Anthony Davis, who signed a long-term extension to stay with the organization last summer.
Reports have indicated that he may prefer Borrego over some of the other candidates, so the Lakers will have to take a long, hard look if that’s the case.
Davis had a short overlap with Borrego during his rookie season in New Orleans and the two may have built a strong relationship during that time.
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