The Lakers are searching for their fourth head coach in six years.
The Los Angeles Lakers have made the decision to hire a new head coach after being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. Darvin Ham and the other members of the coaching staff were let go by the Lakers at the conclusion of last week. There are several rumors circulating that the Lakers were considering hiring Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks and Troy Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers to fill their coaching vacancy.
But now it appears as if the Lakers are moving on from targeting either Tyronn Lue or Jason Kidd as per longtime
Marc Stein is an NBA insider. According to Stein, the Lakers no longer see Kidd or Lue as realistic possibilities. While Kidd is also in the similar situation with the Mavericks, Lue is apparently trying to sign a long-term agreement with the Clippers.
Despite the Clippers’ elimination in the NBA Playoffs’ opening round, it’s thought that negotiations remain friendly to complete an extension before the team moves to a new arena for the 2024–2025 season. Additionally, it’s difficult to see Kidd leaving the Mavericks, who are having a fantastic season and have performed admirably in Kidd’s three seasons as head coach.
With Kidd and Lue seemingly out of the picture, the Lakers pool of available coaching candidates is a lot smaller. Not that Kidd or Lue were viable targets to begin with, but the Lakers short list shrinks even more.
Despite that, the Lakers actually won two playoff series and advanced to the Western Conference Finals even though they were not that good of a team. This season, they finished just about where most people expected them to. A low playoff seed and a first round exit.
With two years left on his contract, Ham was fired since it was insufficient for him. So where do the Lakers look for a coach now that Lue and Kidd are gone?
One name that has surfaced recently is JJ Redick, a former NBA player. Redick has shifted to the media and broadcasting side of things since his retired and has no prior head coaching experience.
In actuality, Redick’s being considered as a potential head coach did not start with the Lakers. When the Charlotte Hornets looked to replace Steve Clifford, who was moving into a front office post, they first heard of him. LeBron James seems to think highly of Redick, and the two have recently launched a new podcast called,
