The Los Angeles Lakers have had to regroup in their head coaching search ever since Connecticut's Dan Hurley said no. The Lakers have been intentionally deliberate in their process, interviewing a handful of candidates, but Hurley is the only one known to have received an offer, and some reporting has suggested that he was the top choice from the moment the search began. Now, however, the Lakers have had to turn their attention to other candidates.
The name that was most widely reported before Hurley's candidacy was ESPN's JJ Redick. He is still seemingly in the running, but, at least for the moment, he is not being treated as the slam dunk hire that he looked like one week ago. Another candidate that has frequently been mentioned alongside him as a strong possibility, New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, has, according to Yahoo's Jake Fischer, become "a leading candidate" for the top job.
Borrego, formerly the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, is the only candidate known to have interviewed for the job twice. He is also reportedly a favorite of Lakers star Anthony Davis, who overlapped with Borrego briefly in New Orleans. With LeBron James set to turn 40 in December, Davis is said to be a priority in this search. His agent, Rich Paul, argued that "the Lakers' focus should probably be more so on Anthony Davis than LeBron at this point" in an interview with Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.
Redick and Borrego represent very different kinds of candidates. Redick has never coached at the professional or collegiate level. Borrego has more than 20 years of experience. Redick is a big name thanks to his broadcasting platform, including a podcast with James called "Mind the Game." Borrego has largely made his name as an assistant and in small markets. The one common trait they share is that they are relatively young, at least by coaching standards. Redick is 39. Borrego is 46. The Lakers are reportedly seeking out a coach who can become a long-term fixture in the organization, not just one who can win now with James and Davis.
The target date for a hire, according to several reports, is the NBA Draft on June 26th. The Lakers would surely prefer to have someone in place as early as possible to help decide how to go about reshaping the roster this offseason. The Hurley pursuit may have set them back on that front, but now, it looks like Borrego and Redick are at the front of a chase that is nearing its conclusion.
