Redick, Borrego, Cassell reportedly early frontrunners in Lakers coaching search - NBC Sports

It’s still very early in the process, but three names have emerged as early frontrunners in the Lakers coaching search, according to Shams Charania and Jovan Buha at The Athletic:

J.J. Redick, Sam Cassell, and James Borrego.

Redick is the highly respected former player turned broadcaster/podcaster who has built a little media empire, but he admitted recently he misses being in the locker room. Sam Cassell is another former player and a long-time assistant coach in the league who deserves a shot in the big chair at some point. Borrego comes out of the Gregg Popovich coaching tree and was the head coach in Charlotte and is currently an assistant coach in New Orleans who helped revamp their offensive attack.

Expect more names in the mix, this is not a final list.

Maybe more interesting than the names of potential coaches is who is helping with the search: Mike Krzyzewski. From The Athletic:

Multiple sources briefed on the matter say one person who has become a respected unofficial resource for the Lakers during the process is legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose deep knowledge for candidates, such as Redick and others, provides a lens into the culture the organization wants and the characteristics of a potential staff around the next head coach.

What are the Lakers looking for in a new head coach?

Reports say the Lakers want a “grinder” coach who is strong at game planning, who can get the most out of this roster led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis the next couple of seasons, then transition that to a team focused around Davis (who is 31 now), all while developing young players, commanding the locker room, and having a strong culture of accountability around the team.

It sounds like the kind of overly long list that comes out of a committee meeting, “just put everything on the board.” What actually matters most to the franchise will become clear as they move closer to a hire.