Lakers Rumors: JJ Redick, Sam Cassell, Borrego Among 'Initial Leading' HC Candidates

The Los Angeles Lakers have highlighted three candidates they are high on as the organization begins setting up interviews to fill its vacant head-coaching position.

Per The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jovan Buha, JJ Redick, Sam Cassell and James Borrego are the "initial leading targets" to replace Darvin Ham.

Charania and Buha noted the Lakers are "are seeking a coach who will command the locker room and hold players accountable, as well as tirelessly gameplan and provide a level of structure and organization" as they hope to improve on their 47-35 record this season.

The club also wants a coach who can lead them through "both the end of the LeBron James—Anthony Davis era—potentially a two-year window—and then the next era of Lakers basketball led by Davis."

Buha previously reported the Lakers are expected to have interest in Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney and Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn (starts at 6:15 mark):

Redick is the most interesting candidate who has been linked to the Lakers. The 15-year NBA veteran has no previous coaching experience at any level. He interviewed with the Toronto Raptors for their vacancy last year before Darko Rajaković was hired.

Charania recently reported Redick was considered a "serious candidate" for the Charlotte Hornets before they eventually named Charles Lee their new head coach.

While that doesn't necessarily mean Redick wouldn't be good at doing the job, it's a bit strange to see someone get thrown into such a high-profile gig that could include coaching LeBron James and Anthony Davis right out of the gate.

Since the 1980-81 season, there have been 16 head coaches hired with no previous head-coaching experience. Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) and Doc Rivers (Orlando Magic) were the only ones who lasted more than three seasons with the club that hired them.

Four of them only made it through one full season. Magic Johnson only lasted 16 games with the Lakers at the end of the 1993-94 season.

Cassell is in his first season as an assistant on Joe Mazzulla's staff with the Boston Celtics. He's been an assistant with four different teams since 2009, including the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.

The 46-year-old Borrego spent this season as an assistant for the New Orleans Pelicans. He went 138-163 in four seasons as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to '22.