It’s been more than five weeks since head coach Darvin Ham was fired, and the Los Angeles Lakers still haven’t decided upon his replacement. After reportedly considering various candidates like JJ Redick and James Borrego, the franchise seemed to have found its savior in the form of UConn coach Dan Hurley. Several official reports indicated that the Lakers were even looking to finalize the deal by offering the 51-year-old a six-year, $70 million contract. Unfortunately, Dan Hurley rejected the offer a couple of hours ago and decided to continue staying on with his college team. With this, JJ Redick and James Borrego may be back in consideration.

A few hours ago, ‘The Athletic’ reporter Jovan Buha released another episode of his podcast. During the same, he highlighted his viewpoint on where would the Lakers be heading next after Dan Hurley’s rejection. Along with interviewing candidates and doing the required due diligence, the podcaster stated that the Lakers will have to do some damage control i.e. repair the fences with the previously pursued candidates who, if selected, will end up being known as the franchise’s ‘second choice’. At the same time, however, those same candidates will also have to be careful about how to answer when one of them gets approached with the ‘second choice’ question.

“I remember being at the Frank Vogel intro press conference and him being asked ‘What was it like being the Lakers’ third choice’” said Buha. “And now, whether it’s JJ Redick, James Borrego, whoever it is, that person is going to have to answer that question”.

Frank Vogel, the predecessor of Darvin Ham, was also not the first choice to become the Lakers’ head coach back in 2019. According to several reports, the franchise was targeting Tyronn ‘Ty’ Lue, who had previously been serving with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, causes attributed to money and the alleged front office’s desire to have a say on Lue’s staff caused the deal to fall apart, causing him to find a new home with the LA Clippers. Being the backup candidate did not reportedly affect Frank Vogel that much, as he led the team to the best of his capabilities and even helped them secure the NBA Championship back in 2020. However, he was fired by the management two years later due to reportedly not making the best use of Russell Westbrook in games.

JJ Redick and James Borrego know the stigma that will follow them whenever one of them secures the top position. However, by avoiding the mistakes made by Frank Vogel during his run as head coach, the selected individual can thrive and carve out a long path for himself with the LA team.

Stephen A. Smith sides with JJ Redick for HC instead of James Borrego

Both JJ Redick and James Borrego have the advantage of having potential backers within the Lakers roster itself. For JJ Redick, the person who could stand in his support is no other than lead scorer LeBron James. Ever since the two started hosting their podcast titled ‘Mind the Game’, fans have gotten a glimpse of their professional partnership built on mutual admiration. At the same time, Borrego may have the support of center Anthony Davis, who was under the wing of the coach for a very brief period after getting drafted. There is a strong belief that Davis “prefers for James Borrego to get the job over Redick”. When the same question would be asked to renowned ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, however, he would state that Redick is the way to go.

According to several reports, the choice for the next head coach would be made by considering Anthony Davis. After all, with LeBron James being 39 years old, and his future with the Lakers and the NBA as a whole remaining uncertain, Davis is the future of the franchise. However, during the recent episode of ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’, the 56-year-old revealed that at the moment, it is the priority for Jeanie Buss and the rest of the Lakers Management to appease LeBron James, since he is the one that draws the attention.

“Anthony Davis, as great as he is, ain’t the draw,” said Smith. “LeBron James is!”

JJ Redick or James Borrego: Who would be your pick? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA star rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.