Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Insider details Lakers' timeline for new coaching hire

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 5/12/24

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the market for a new head coach.

JJ Redick and James Borrego have both been floated as potential candidates, while Mike Budenholzer, the most experienced coaching candidate on the market, has agreed to a deal with the Phoenix Suns, taking him out of the running.

During a recent episode of the latest "Buha's Block" podcast, The Athletic's Jovan Buha detailed what he's hearing about the Lakers' current timeline for hiring a head coach.

“From what I’ve been told, the Lakers’ plan is to have a coach in place by the NBA draft, which is June 26th,” Buha said. “That gives them about six-and-a-half, seven weeks or so to figure this out and, again, figure out the timeline with the candidate interviews and nailing it down to a few candidates, and then a couple candidates. I would not be surprised if the Lakers made a hire before the Finals conclude. And that could potentially mean interviewing some of these guys during the playoffs.”

For the Lakers, it makes sense to have a new coach in place early. Anyone tasked with the job must create a new system that gets the best out of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They will also need input in Rob Pelinka's free agency moves to ensure that whoever is added to the roster fits the coach's vision for the team.

Los Angeles will undoubtedly be linked with numerous coaching candidates in the coming weeks. Pelinka will have a tough decision to make. Nevertheless, finding the right fit for the current roster is imperative. The Lakers can't afford to waste more of James' golden years.

With a reported date in place, the front office will be working toward a target. That should allow it to move efficiently and purposefully while still having the time and freedom to do its due diligence. Nevertheless, the coaching market is currently very thin.

The Lakers may need to get creative if they want to find the right person for the job.

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