The Los Angeles Lakers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs, and despite a season that featured the illustrious victory of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament title, head coach Darvin Ham was just days after that postseason exit.
J.J. Redick was pulling away as the betting favorite in the Lakers’ next coach odds with The Athletic’s Shams Charania reporting him as the frontrunner on June 4. However, an extra wrinkle has injected intrigue to the proceedings as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is now reporting that the team is gearing up to offer UConn head coach Dan Hurley a massive, long-term contract. Hurley is reportedly set to make his decision on Monday, June 10.
As LeBron James may not be wearing the purple and gold himself next year, the Lake Show could be in full upheaval. And with the added uncertainty of Hurley’s name being thrown into the ring, Lakers next head coach odds have seemingly vanished.
Los Angeles Lakers next coach odds
| Candidates | |
|---|---|
| JJ Redick | -115 |
| James Borrego | +425 |
| Sam Cassell | +500 |
| Tyronn Lue | +1000 |
| David Adelman | +1200 |
| Kenny Atkinson | +1200 |
| Monty Williams | +3000 |
| Terry Stotts | +3500 |
| Juwan Howard | +4000 |
| Frank Vogel | +4000 |
| Jay Wright | +4000 |
| Mark Jackson | +5000 |
| Mike D’Antoni | +5500 |
| Becky Hammon | +7000 |
| Jerry Stackhouse | +7500 |
| Chris Quinn | +7500 |
| Jared Dudley | +8000 |
| Dave Joerger | +14000 |
| Adrian Griffin | +15000 |
| Royal Ivey | +16000 |
| Pau Gasol | +20000 |
Odds as of 5-15 (*off the board on 6-6)
The wild card gets played
UConn’s David Hurley (no odds available as of 6-6-2024)
The #Lakers over the next few days are in a full-court press to convince Dan Hurley to come to LA. @wojespn via #USL on @ESPNRadio @ESPNLosAngeles pic.twitter.com/ABXAd7TpX2
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) June 6, 2024
A Woj-bomb dropped on the morning of Game 1 of the NBA Finals as he reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were prepared to offer UConn Huskies head coach David Hurley a massive, long-term contract to be their new bench boss. Wojnarowski also reported that Hurley has been at the forefront of Los Angeles’ search since the outset and the team had simply been doing due diligence in interviewing other candidates.
Unsurprisingly, this has perhaps thrown a wrench into the betting odds, which are no longer available. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that J.J. Redick was the frontrunner, which coincided with where the odds had previously stood.
Before the Hurley news, Redick appeared on Gojo and Golic and was vague when asked about his status as a potential replacement for Darvin Ham.
“My focus is on the NBA Finals. In terms of Shams, that will be addressed once the season is over. I’ll just say that.” @jj_redick addresses the elephant in the room — the rumors of the Lakers’ interest in him as their new Head Coach pic.twitter.com/6OwYnG5iHQ
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) June 5, 2024
Now, this could mean Charania’s reporting was wrong and it could mean it was correct. Redick leaves it mostly up to interpretation, so it remains to be seen what the future holds.
Both reports may be technically correct, or at least hold a bit of truth. If Hurley is indeed L.A.’s top target, he still has to accept the deal. Hurley has coached the Huskies since the 2018-19 season after being hired away from the University of Rhode Island — a program he shepherded to the Round of 32 in each of his last two seasons. Under his stewardship, UConn has gone from outside the NCAA Tournament to the Round of 64 to back-to-back National Championship victories.
If he elects to stay put and build upon his legacy as a college coach, then maybe Redick is the frontrunner. It all depends on how much of a hail mary the pursuit of Hurley is.
Check back as we will update the odds if they become available. Below is our previous analysis of the field before Hurley joined the fray.
Favorites to become next LA Lakers head coach
J.J. Redick (-115 | 53.49% chance)
Any discussion about the next Lakers coach begins and ends with one thing — how well can they co-exist with LeBron, who has basically been a player/coach/GM for years.
Right now, nobody on this list has a better rapport with ‘Bron than Redick, who co-hosts the “Mind the Game” podcast with James; where they both nerd out on basketball Xs and Os and talk about the more technical aspects of the game.
Redick, who also works as an analyst for ESPN, doesn’t have any actual coaching experience… but is that necessary when LeBron calls the shots anyway? He gets a smart basketball mind, a close friend of his, and someone who thinks on the same wavelength as him.
James Borrego (+425 | 19.05% chance)
Sam Cassell (+500 | 16.67% chance)
Sources have told The Athletic that, after Redick, the next two primary targets are Borrego and Cassell.
Barrego was a long-time Spurs assistant coach under Gregg Popovich, winning two titles with the organization, who is currently a Pelicans assistant and, with his NBA coaching experience, Adrian Wojnarowski directly called out as a “name to watch.”
He doesn’t have any direct NBA head coaching experience, but neither does Cassell — although he does bring a higher profile name and NBA playing experience.
Cassell is a 16-year NBA vet and three-time NBA champion, with 15 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach after going directly from player to coach. The long-time point guard would bring a blend of playing and coaching experience, while also having no problem handling the feisty LA media.
A reunion (sort of) in the works?
Tyronn Lue (+1000 | 9.09% chance)
Sometimes it’s best to just go with what you know — and the Lakers could opt to do that by hiring Lue, a former Lakers player who is used to coaching in Hollywood… as he’s currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Helping Lue’s case would be his familiarity with LeBron, as Lue was a coach (first assistant then HC) with the Cavaliers during James’ second tour in Ohio, helping lead the franchise to its only NBA Championship in 2016.
Lue isn’t officially available as of now, but his head coaching experience plus familiarity with the city — and with the Lakers’ star player — make him an interesting option.
David Adelman
Pick made 5-3
Adelman is one of the most sought-after assistants in the NBA, stacking his resume with championship experience on the Denver Nuggets staff — the team that just so happened to send LeBron & Co. packing the past two postseasons. He has a solid coaching pedigree, passed down from his dad Rick Adelman, and it shows in his blueprint for the Nuggets’ offense.
Another notable name — that’s not on the odds board, however — is newly-retired NBA guard Rajon Rondo. While he hasn’t held a coaching position at the pro or college levels, he’s regarded as one of the smartest players of his generation and got the thumbs up from LeBron himself during James and Redick’s podcast series. Rondo would be able to lean on LeBron as he got his feet wet as an NBA head coach.
As a Lakers fan… I don’t hate this idea.
Los Angeles Lakers Next Head Coach Odds FAQs
ESPN broadcaster (and LeBron’s podcast co-host) JJ Redick is the current favorite to be the Lakers’ next head coach.
The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after just two seasons in Hollywood.
Former Michigan coach Juwan Howard has the shortest odds of anyone coming directly from college, but he is still a long shot.
