It is no secret that the Lakers were desperately trying to pursue Dan Hurley to become their new head coach. However, the pursuit only led to a heartbreak for Rob Pelinka as even after reportedly offering Hurley a six-year $70 million contract, he denied the offer and decided to stay at UConn. Now with the Lakers back to square one after losing Hurley, they might return to assessing their previously finalized candidates, James Borrego and JJ Redick. However, veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith showed support for his ESPN coworker JJ to get the job, warning the Lakers against hiring Borrego.

Discussing Hurley turning down the Lakers job on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the analyst claimed that one of the reasons Hurley did it was because the Lakers didn’t have much to offer. “If the Lakers were a more attractive job, perhaps he’d be more interested.” Once a team that everyone aspired to be a part of, the Lakers seem to have lost their charm because of their recent struggles. And maybe that’s why Hurley thought pursuing a third straight NCAA title and creating history was a better option than running a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

But where do the Lakers go from here? Well, amid this uncertainty, Stephen A. scoffed at the idea of Pelinka potentially signing James Borrego, “I don’t wanna hear a damn thing about James Borrego.” While there have been reports about Anthony Davis preferring Borrego as head coach over JJ Redick because of their time together in New Orleans, along with Borrego’s previous head coaching experience in Charlotte, Stephen A. claims that AD is not the one that Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss need to please.

“Anthony Davis, as great as he is, ain’t the draw. LeBron James is!” So, maybe the Lakers need to prioritize LeBron’s preference over AD’s, regardless of Davis being the future of the franchise.

Stephen A. Smith claims LeBron James isn’t fooling anybody

Yes, the Lakers went all in on AD last year when he signed a three-year $186 million contract to stay in LA for at least four more years. With that, many believe that AD is now the future of the franchise because he will likely outlast LeBron’s tenure with the Lakers. However, Stephen A. believes that till the time LeBron is in LA, he is still the man in that team. And to please LeBron, Pelinka and Buss might have to hire JJ Redick as the head coach over Borrego. “LeBron James is doing a podcast with JJ Redick for a reason. He ain’t fooling nobody.” Smith claimed.

While LeBron has not openly advocated for JJ as the new head coach, just those two doing a podcast together while Darvin Ham struggled to keep his job speaks volumes about LeBron’s preference for Redick. Moreover, Stephen A. believes that JJ might be ready to take over this challenge even though he has never coached a pro level team. Citing the examples of Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers who found immense success as head coaches without prior experience, Smith thinks that JJ has the ability to do the same with the Lakers.

With that said, it is highly likely that AD might not get his wish of playing under James Borrego as JJ might get the job based on merit and the fact that Jeanie and Pelinka want to keep LeBron in LA for a few more years? What are your thoughts?

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise to stardom. Keep checking this space for more such updates.