Getty Head coach Dan Hurley and Alex Karaban #11 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrate after beating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60 to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship game.
The Los Angeles Lakers are circling back to ESPN analyst JJ Redick after two-time national champion coach Dan Hurley spurned their six-year, $70 million offer.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday, June 13, that the Lakers will formally interview Redick over the weekend in Los Angeles, adding “a strong performance is expected to move him to the forefront of the franchise’s search.”
Redick is currently working as an analyst in ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Finals on ABC between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics could wrap up the series with a sweep on Friday, June 14. If the Mavericks stave off elimination, Game 5 would be on June 17 in Boston. Either result would give Redick time to visit Los Angeles over the weekend.
Redick initially interviewed for 90-plus minutes with Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka in May at the Chicago draft combine, according to Wojnarowski.
Hurley turned down the Lakers on June 10 after he and his wife met with the Lakers brass in Los Angeles.
Geography and the allure of winning the college basketball’s first three-peat since John Wooden’s UCLA won seven straight from 1967 to 1973 were cited as reasons the Northeast-bred Hurley passed up on the opportunity to coach the Lakers.
With Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reporting that James Borrego is one of the leading candidates in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ coaching search, the Lakers’ job is for the taking for Redick if he makes a strong impression in his formal interview.
Redick, a 16-year NBA veteran, is also a co-host of Lakers superstar LeBron James in his “Mind the Game” podcast.
JJ Redick Accepts Being a Second Choice
Redick goes into the formal interview with an open mind, acknowledging the narrative that whoever is chosen as the next Lakers coach would forever be referred to as the second choice after the team’s highly publicized courting of Hurley and eventual rejection.
“Pelinka and Redick have talked on the phone in recent days, and Redick understands and accepts Pelinka’s lengthy pursuit of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley that initially stalled Redick’s candidacy, sources said,” Wojnarowski wrote.
Redick (-115) is the odds-on favorite at DraftKings, the No. 2-rated sportsbook at MI Betting, to become the next Lakers coach after the Hurley fallout with Borrego (+450) a distant second.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “Get Up” that Redick should seek the same offer the Lakers threw at Hurley.
“If I’m JJ Redick, I’d start by asking for six years, $70 million if they’re gonna offer me the job,” Windhorst said.
What Lakers Are Looking For in Their Next Coach
Windhorst said the Lakers job “is a very demanding job,” making the hiring process difficult for the organization.
“There’s not a lot of great candidates out there,” Windhorst said. “What the Lakers are doing here is they’re looking for a high-risk, high-reward [coach]. Dan Hurley was a high-risk, high-reward discussion. JJ Redick would be a high-risk, high-reward situation. I think everyone needs to understand, including the Lakers fans, who are not known for their patience.”
According to Wojnarowski, one of the Lakers’ priorities is to get a coach who is not just in a win-now mode but also willing to develop their young talents for the post-LeBron era.
“As Pelinka did with Hurley, he still wants a teaching coach and staff who will prioritize the development of young players such as Max Christie, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and can design a creative approach to featuring Anthony Davis on both ends of the floor, sources said,” Wojnarowski wrote.