Only 1 Candidate Stands in JJ Redick’s Path to Securing Lakers Coaching Job – All About Pelicans’ James Borrego

The Los Angeles Lakers are on the cusp of making JJ Redick the new head coach of the side. Following the dismissal of Darvin Ham from the coaching job, the LA side has been on the hunt to find the perfect replacement. And, 39-year-old Redick emerged as the top candidate for the role, considering the rumors and the former star’s recent podcast association with LeBron James. While the deal looked almost finalized, 46-year-old James Borrego came in as a twist in the tail.

NBA insider, Shams Charania, dropped a revelation in his recent appearance on live TV. Even though Charania stated that Redick remained the favorite for the job and the franchise is “zeroing in on him”, he also opened up doors for New Orleans Pelicans‘ associate head coach Borrego.

He said, “The Lakers have been infatuated with JJ Redick, thinking of him as a coach for the short term and long term,” and also stated the “narrow chance” Borrego gets the role.

Redick, who is currently committed to ESPN for calling the Finals game, won’t sign up with the Lakers until it’s over. Until then, James Borrego still has the chance to make a breakthrough. Notably, Charania also added that the Pelicans’ Borrego had already had two in-person meetings with the Lakers’ front office over the last few weeks. Importantly, the 46-year-old has impressed the management in his two seatings.

One might wonder about the importance of JJ Redick’s appointment as the Lakers coach, considering LeBron James’ future. The superstar made it loud and clear in the past regarding his displeasure with Darvin Ham’s coaching.

It even led to mid-season trade rumors. In the same vein, snubbing Redick could end up becoming costly for the Lakers. Especially when James has a player option, heading into the off-season.

Will James Borrego take over coaching despite the LeBron James factor?

Is it worth it to snub JJ Redick to onboard James Borrego into the coaching vehicle? This could be the possible question looming in the Lakers’ front office. While there isn’t any definitive answer to the question, we can look into Borrego’s journey in the league so far.

Compared to Redick’s lack of coaching experience in the professional stage, Borrego has a lot of upper hand. Before joining the Pelicans coaching team as the associate head coach for the 2023-24 season, he played a decent role as a coach in multiple franchises.

Notably, he served under the coaching unit of Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator. And, he eventually became the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets in 2018. Interestingly, the Hornets finished 9th in the East with a 39-43 record in the 2018-19 season.

Moreover, Shams Charania, in his statement, spoke about the bond between Anthony Davis and Borrego. He said, “Anthony Davis and Borrego, who overlapped briefly in New Orleans, have also built a rapport recently.” Apart from that, the 46-year-old’s ability to maintain a good player-coach rapport can force his way with the help of AD.

Importantly, with the amount of coaching experience Borrego has, will the Lakers take the risk of hiring less-experienced Redick? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.