JJ Redick is among the many names in the running to replace Darvin Ham as the head coach of the Lakers next season. While many fans have been optimistic about a fresh face like Redick coaching the team, a vocal section of the fanbase doesn’t want the deal to happen because Redick didn’t vote for Anthony Davis for an All-Defensive team.

Some fans think the similarly inexperienced Rajon Rondo might be a better fit.

There are many reasons to be upset at the Lakers wanting to hire Redick. The fanbase just saw how an inexperienced head coach can falter in the face of personalities like LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Darvin Ham example, as the Lakers were his first head coaching job in the NBA.

Redick has not coached at any level professionally, so hiring him is a gamble akin to what the Brooklyn Nets took with hiring Steve Nash in 2020. Nash still had pedigree having been around the coaching staff of the Warriors and as a former MVP. Redick is inarguably one of the smartest voices in basketball right now, but jumping into coaching on a team like the Lakers might not be the best idea.

What Coaches Can The Lakers Evaluate?

With Jason Kidd’s contract extension with the Mavericks being confirmed, he’s out of the race after being linked over the weekend. It doesn’t look like Tyronn Lue will be losing his job on the Clippers, so the pipe dream of hiring him could be quickly fading. Outside these two existing NBA head coaches, who could the Lakers target?

The most experienced and accomplished name on the sidelines is Mike Budenholzer, who has led multiple No. 1 seeds in the NBA and won the 2021 title with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers hired Ham after he worked under Budenholzer for years, so they could possibly bring in the sensei but he’ll carry on some of the habits the players didn’t like about Ham, especially regarding in-game adjustments.

NBA assistants such as Micah Nori on the Wolves and Charles Lee on the Celtics would be interesting options. Nori has done an excellent job with Chris Finch in Minnesota this season, though it doesn’t seem like he’ll be in serious consideration. Every NBA team that’s done a coaching search in recent years has knocked at the door of Charles Lee, but nobody has made him a head coach yet.

Kenny Atkinson in Golden State could be a target as well, as the former Nets head coach has spent the last three seasons as an assistant under Steve Kerr. Former Lakers assistant Phil Handy, who was fired as part of Ham’s staff, could also be in the running as a popular choice among players.

After these candidates, you have the likes of Redick and Rondo, who are former players with no coaching experience. Rondo being one of the smartest minds in league history makes a case for him more compelling than Redick, but it seems that Redick will be able to bring balance to an often moody locker room.

This is the most coveted coaching job in the NBA, so it’ll be interesting to see who earns it this summer.