Following Dan Hurley’s rejection, JJ Redick is back as the Lakers’ preferred coach
It appears more likely that JJ Redick will take over as head coach of UConn basketball after head coach Dan Hurley turned down an offer from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Prior to this unexpected development, Redick was the front-runner to become the Lakers’ head coach. However, it was later revealed that the Purple and Gold were actually vying with Hurley to succeed Darvin Ham following Ham’s departure. Hurley was actually courted by LA with a six-year, $70 million contract in an attempt to entice him away from the Huskies.
As mentioned, Hurley decided not to leave his role with the Huskies ahead of a season in which they will attempt to make history with a three-peat. It forced the Lakers to go back to searching mode, with both Borrego and Redick–two candidates they were reportedly interested in before the Hurley saga–being mentioned as the top candidates.
But as of late, there has been talk that the Lakers are considering hiring Redick as their head coach. This weekend, Redick will have an interview with the team; a good showing there should position him for the position.
Redick is favored to win the position at -500 according to the betting odds, with Sam Cassell and James Borrego following him.
Now that NBA insider Marc Stein has disclosed in his most recent report that Redick, a 15-year NBA veteran, is his to lose, there is even more reason to believe that he will be the Lakers’ next coach.
In the wake of Dan Hurley’s decision to stay at UConn, JJ Redick would seem (stress: appear) to have regained his previous place as the favorite to get the Los Angeles Lakers coaching job, provided he wants it. “You know who is getting the job,” Stein posted on Substack on Friday, according to a source close to the proceedings that I spoke with.
In any case, there are some doubts about Redick’s suitability for the position given his inexperience as a head coach, but NBA insider Brian Windhorst provided an interesting analysis of why the former Duke star is currently the front-runner.
As many fans are aware, Redick and Lakers star LeBron James co-host a podcast in which they discuss basketball tactics and analyze plays with an advanced intelligence. Windhorst claims that the podcast is essentially Redick’s interview—or, more accurately, his audition tape—for the part.
“Hiring a head coach for the first time implies that you’re going to experience a learning curve. To be honest, JJ Redick has conducted interviews for those podcasts featuring LeBron James. They have seriously broken
dissected the Lakers’ offense and thoroughly examined their play. Windhorst stated on ESPN that “it’s been out there for the whole world to hear, including from the Lakers front office.”
The Lakers have not yet decided what to do. However, it is true that until a decision is made, it is difficult to trust any reports regarding the LA role, given what transpired with the Hurley case.
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