The Lakers have a clear frontrunner to be their next coach

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the hunt for a new coach. The Darvin Ham experiment didn’t last long, and the winningest franchise in NBA history wants to get back to the mountaintop.

It only makes sense that they want to make the most of LeBron James and Anthony Davis while they’re still there, but there aren’t that many proven coaches available right now.

That’s why the Lakers aren’t likely to go with a high-profile name. If anything, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that former player JJ Redick is currently leading the race to be their next coach.

JJ Redick Is The Frontrunner For The Lakers’ Coaching Job

“I’m told that last week the Lakers met with JJ Redick for an extended period of time,” Shams said. “He was the first person to do a face-to-face meeting and my sense is that he’s the frontrunner for this job.”

JJ Redick playing for the New Orleans Pelicans.

This isn’t far from a surprise, as LeBron and Redick have a close relationship, and they even started a podcast together recently. Still, Charania reported earlier in the week that James hasn’t been involved in the coaching search:

“I’m told LeBron James is not involved in the Lakers’ head coaching search,” Charania said. “I’ve reported on it last week. J.J. Redick, James Borrego, Sam Cassell are the lead initial targets. But LeBron James has made it clear. This is the organization’s decision.”

That’s particularly hard to believe. James has had a say in almost every decision since he signed with the Lakers, and they wouldn’t hire someone without his blessing, especially with him being able to become a free agent this summer.

Redick is a knowledgeable and respected former player, but the fact that he comes with zero coaching experience should raise some eyebrows among the fan base.

But at the end of the day, it’s all about keeping the star player happy, even if the Lakers have been a borderline playoff team for most of James’ tenure in Southern California.