Los Angeles Lakers next head coach odds: Is job JJ Redick’s to lose?

It has been several weeks since the dismissal of Darvin Ham and the Los Angeles Lakers still need a head coach.

Although LeBron James had a stellar season and Anthony Davis played a career-high 76 games, the Lakers ended a disappointing year with a first-round exit that cost Ham his job.  

Now, the rumor mills — and sportsbooks — have been buzzing. 

Mike Budenholzer was an early favorite, but he has since signed a five-year, $50-plus million contract to become the next head coach of the Phoenix Suns.  

So now that he is off the board, let’s take a look at the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook: *

JJ Redick: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
James Borrego: +425 (bet $10 to win $52.50 total)
Sam Cassell: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Tyronn Lue: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Micah Nori: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Chris Quinn: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
David Adelman: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Kenny Atkinson: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)

* odds as of 5/21/24

Who should the Lakers hire to replace Darvin Ham? The Lakers are reportedly not rushing to make a decision and, as a result, are doing their due diligence in deciding who to hand the reins to. 

The three names the sportsbooks are leaning heavily towards are JJ Redick, James Borrego and Sam Cassell — but one of those names is not like the others. 

Borrego was the head coach for the Charlotte Hornets from 2018-2022 and won two rings with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, where he was an assistant for 10 seasons. 

Cassell played in the association for 15 seasons and won three NBA championships, and has been an assistant coach in the league since 2009. He currently works on Joe Mazzulla’s staff in Boston. 

Then there is Redick, whose lack of coaching experience is not reflected in his strong odds at -140. The former NBA player was a standout in college and a solid role player in the league for 15 seasons. 

Redick also has a podcast with James entitled “Mind the Game.”

This week, The Athletic reported that James is “not involved” in the Lakers’ coaching hire. That same report said that the Lakers believe Redick is a “Pat Riley-like coaching prospect who could both help the franchise in the short term and lead it for years.”

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