NBA Rumors: LeBron James' Lakers have to cross another candidate off their list

With LeBron James still considering whether to exercise his player option for next season, the Los Angeles Lakers continue their coaching search. But now they officially know that a top candidate is off the table.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Tyronn Lue is signing a contract extension to remain at the helm of the Los Angeles Clippers. This means the Purple and Gold will have to look elsewhere to find a coach for next season.

Lue, 47, was one of the first names to be linked with the Lakers job when the franchise fired Darvin Ham on May 3, following a first-round elimination at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the 2024 NBA playoffs.

Lue’s great job with the crosstown rivals, but most importantly, his time as LeBron’s coach in Cleveland — winning the NBA championship in 2016 — made him a great fit for the Lakers, but he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and head coach Tyronn Lue talk while playing the Indiana Pacers in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 29, 2018

The Clippers are reportedly making Lue one of the highest-paid coaches in the league, tying him down to a five-year, $70 million contract extension. Now, it’s time for the Lakers to turn the page.

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Lakers expected to hire JJ Redick as head coach

With Lue no longer a possibility, word on the street is that JJ Redick is in pole position to take charge of the Lakers this summer. According to NBA Insider Chris Haynes, the 39-year-old has the most chances of landing the job.

“I will be surprised if [the Lakers] next head coach is anybody but JJ Redick. Everything that I’m hearing is JJ Redick,” Haynes said on the Dan Patrick Show, via ClutchPoints. “From what I know, he’s doing some background, calling some assistant coaching candidates who might be able to join his staff or might not be able to join his staff. So, yeah, I’m pretty positive that it’ll be JJ.”

Redick, who launched a podcast with LeBron in March, has no head coaching experience, which raises many eyebrows considering Ham was also a rookie head coach when the Lakers hired him in 2022.

Los Angeles faces a critical offseason as James’ future looks unclear, and with The King‘s championship window closing, the team has to make sure not to get it wrong with its next coaching hire. After all, the Lakers’ next hire could be LeBron’s last coach with the Lakers.