Troubling Times For Rob Pelinka & Coach JJ Redick as Ex-Champ Backs Out From Lakers’ Staff Hunt Amid Fruitless Free Agency

After hiring JJ Redick as the new Lakers head coach, Rob Pelinka lifted a huge load off his mind. But there is still a lot more left for him to figure out this summer. For starters, the Lakers haven’t made any significant moves in free agency so far except re-signing Max Christie. More importantly, they still need an entirely new coaching staff to help an inexperienced Redick in his debut season. But amid the hunt, Redick and Pelinka have suffered a massive setback, as one highly qualified potential candidate has backed out.

Just a few days ago, the Lakers expressed interest in adding former champion Dwane Casey to JJ’s new coaching staff. However, upon assessment and “wrestling with the decision” for quite a while, Casey has withdrawn from the prospective new challenge. One of the major reasons was his unwillingness to “uproot his family,” Dave McMenamin reported.

With nearly three decades of coaching experience on multiple teams, Casey’s decision will come as a huge blow for Redick. Initially starting his career as an assistant coach in Seattle, he was an integral part of the Mavs’ iconic 2011 Championship team. Elevating his career, Casey then became the Raptors’ head coach and even won the Coach of the Year trophy seven years later.

Ironically, his best season turned out to be his last in Toronto as he was fired and later joined the Pistons as their head coach. And right now, Casey is working as a front office associate in Detroit. Now that the Lakers have missed out on adding Casey, Redick will have to look in another direction to finalize his staff as soon as possible.

JJ Redick’s big decision amid Coaching staff search

With Casey withdrawing from the hunt, the Lakers’ options have become significantly limited. They also lost another potential candidate in Terry Stotts, who is reportedly gearing up to join the Warriors’ coaching staff alongside Steve Kerr. So, that leaves Pelinka and JJ Redick with three possible options- Rajon Rondo, Scott Brooks, and Alvin Gentry. And that’s not a bad list at all, isn’t it?

Coaching AD and Redick during the Pelicans days, Gentry has proven chemistry with both, and that could be the reason why the Lakers are interested. His coaching career spans over 30 years, giving him enough experience to help the Lakers step up their quality.

Meanwhile, Scott Brooks could also be a great addition. He coached in OKC for several years and even faced LeBron in the 2012 Finals. And Rajon Rondo, while not having much coaching experience, is famous for being one of the smartest basketball minds out there.

Prioritizing the search, JJ Redick has decided that he will not be coaching the Lakers in the Summer League, handing that responsibility to G League coach Dane Johnson. “We talk about development- it’s an incredible opportunity for Dane and his staff to develop further. For me, I have to sort of prioritize a bunch of different things right now, including building out a staff.” With a challenging task at hand, JJ wants to focus completely on picking the right people before the Lakers finalize their player-roster for next season.

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about the alleged Shaq and Kobe Lakers beef. Keep checking this space for more such updates.