Woj: Lakers 'Nowhere Close' to Hiring New HC amid JJ Redick, James Borrego Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly "nowhere close" to deciding on a new head coach and are now bringing in potential candidates for longer interviews, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Chris Quinn, James Borrego and JJ Redick are among the candidates the team has already spoken to during its search, though Wojnarowski noted that "over the next few weeks, you're going to see more candidates come back in and dig a little deeper with the Lakers on this head-coaching job."

Quinn, 40, is a former NBA and overseas player who has served as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat since 2014. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is reportedly hoping to keep his current staff together, however:

Borrego, 46, has had head-coaching stints with the Orlando Magic (2014-15) and Charlotte Hornets (2018-19 to 2021-22), registering a 148-183 record and no playoff appearances. He's also worked as an assistant coach for the New Orleans/Pelicans (his current team), the Magic and San Antonio Spurs.

Woj noted that Borrego is meeting with the Lakers for a second time on Wednesday.

Redick, 39, is a former NBA sharpshooter who has established a second career as an NBA podcaster and media personality, serving as a color commentator for ESPN's lead NBA broadcasting team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke.

He has paired with LeBron James on the Mind the Game podcast, a potential hint at who the Lakers superstar could prefer among the reported candidates.

Several current head coaches have taken the player-to-media-to-coaching career path, with Steve Kerr the most successful of that bunch. Going from no head-coaching experience to arguably the NBA's highest-profile post with the Lakers, however, would be no small task.

Chris Haynes of TNT Sports believes Redick will ultimately get the gig:

The Lakers fired Darvin Ham this offseason after failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs. In Ham's two seasons, the team made the postseason twice but had to battle through the In-Season Tournament to get there.

The Lakers face a huge summer, as James is expected to decline his player option and seek a reworked deal with the Lakers, though he also could decide to test the market. Losing him obviously would be catastrophic for Los Angeles.