The LA Lakers fired Darvin Ham as their head coach after the LA Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round. Ham was in charge for two seasons, leading the Lakers to the Western Conference finals in his first year and winning the NBA Cup this season.
However, Ham's tenure was filled with a lot of criticism from fans due to how he manages games. He's famously known for not calling any timeouts when opposing teams are making a run. He also had a tough time making any in-game adjustments and was stubborn in making changes to his rotations and starting lineups.
With all that said and done, the Lakers might be entering the NBA draft without a head coach. They are still searching and recently interviewed ESPN analyst JJ Redick, who has been linked to the position for the past two months now. Redick co-hosts a podcast with LeBron James called "Mind the Game."
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List of candidates the LA Lakers have interviewed to be their new head coach
JJ Redick
The former NBA player and current ESPN analyst has been linked to the LA Lakers head coaching job since Darvin Ham was fired. JJ Redick has been open about his desire to be a head coach in the league and it helps that he's friends with LeBron James.
According to Dan Woike of the LA Times, the Lakers have officially interviewed Redick for the position. The franchise was left scrambling for other options when Dan Hurley turned down their offer.
Dan Hurley
The LA Lakers were linked with the UConn head coach for about a week and there was even a formal offer of a six-year deal worth $70 million. However, Dan Hurley decided to remain in Connecticut to try and help the Huskies win their third straight NCAA championship.
James Borrego
Before the LA Lakers focused on Dan Hurley, New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego had a couple of interviews with the franchise. Borrego is known for his offensive schemes and previously coached the Charlotte Hornets for four seasons.
Sam Cassell
The three-time NBA champion has been one of the longest-tenured assistant coaches in the league. Sam Cassell is still waiting for his first head coaching job since becoming an assistant in 2009. He has worked for the Washington Wizards, LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
David Adelman
The son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman, Davis has been an assistant in the NBA since 2011. He's had stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic, and has been with the Denver Nuggets since 2017. He's known as Michael Malone's top assistant, winning an NBA championship last year.
Micah Nori
Just like Sam Cassell and David Adelman, Micah Nori has been a longtime assistant coach in the NBA. Nori has been in the league since 2009 and has served for teams such as the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons.
He's currently signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves and performed head coaching duties in the postseason due to Taylor Finch's injury.
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