The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the final teams remaining in the league without a head coach.
The Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards are searching for their next candidate, though L.A. should have its pick of the litter. There have been several lead assistant coaches and previous head coaches linked to Los Angeles, as well as current ESPN analyst and broadcaster JJ Redick but the organization is taking its time moving through the process.
While hiring a head coach that can scheme well and get buy-in from the locker room is important, the Lakers need to be conscious of what LeBron James and Anthony Davis think. To general manager Rob Pelinka’s credit, he has been collaborative with the two stars on any decisions relating to the roster and according to Dan Woike of L.A. Times, James and Davis will need sign off on whoever the team hires:
“A person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak on the record said James and Davis eventually will need to sign off on the coaching hire. It’s a practice that’s widely accepted around the NBA, star players operating more as stakeholders than employees when it comes to finding a partner to work from the bench.”
Star players typically are granted a voice in the decision-making process and for good reason as they are the pillars of the team. Although James and Davis’ agent Rich Paul confirmed the King isn’t currently involved in the head coaching search, there seems to be an understanding from all parties that his input will matter when the time comes to bring someone in.
The Lakers would surely like to find a candidate that can both deliver results immediately, but also grow within the role and serve as their head coach for the long-term. The head coaching turnover since Phil Jackson left the franchise has been concerning, so the next person to come in and take the job will face immense pressure from the jump.
JJ Redick remains frontrunner for Lakers job after first round of interviews
Los Angeles has signaled that it’ll take its time finding the right person, and they recently conducted their first set of interviews with candidates this past week. JJ Redick’s name continues to pop up regarding the head coaching position and the belief around the league is he is still considered the frontrunner for the job after his initial interview with the Lakers.
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