It's well-documented that LeBron James has a major influence in the Lakers front-office decisions.
Whether it's free agent signings, trades or naming a head coach, James' opinion is highly valued. It seems he may be throwing a new recommendation into the mix as the Lakers' coaching rumors heat up.
Los Angeles finished the regular season strong after a slow start, earning the No. 7 seed via the Play-In Tournament. It wasn't enough to salvage the year, however, as the Nuggets defeated the Lakers 4-1 in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Head coach Darvin Ham was pinned with the title of scapegoat for L.A.'s premature exit and was dumped shortly after the Lakers' year came to a close. Now, Los Angeles' front office brass is looking for a new person to stalk the sidelines — the fourth since James has arrived in Tinseltown.
The latest name to emerge as a candidate for the Lakers' coaching job is JJ Redick, who recently started a podcast with James.
MORE: What's next for Lakers after first-round exit
Will JJ Redick be the next Lakers coach?
The Lakers are "zeroing in" on Redick to be Los Angeles' next head coach, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
The Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick as the frontrunner for franchise’s next head coach, league and industry sources say.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2024
Developing story at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/PqVJt8OBjs
Despite the latest reports, Redick is focused on the NBA Finals in which he will serve as a color commentator alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke.
The former NBA player turned analyst will address the coaching rumors after the NBA Finals wraps up in mid-June.
JJ Redick on Lakers coaching rumors: ‘That will be addressed once the season’s over, that’s all I’ll say’ https://t.co/5PdLOKiZg7
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 5, 2024
Redick has become a prominent name in NBA media, joining ESPN's top broadcasting crew alongside Breen and Burke. He also has his own podcast "The Old Man and the Three" as well as his podcast with James "Mind the Game."
Former NBA player Rashad McCants has a theory that the "Mind the Game" podcast was created so James could train Redick "to be the coach" of the Lakers.
