JJ Redick will formally interview for the Los Angeles Lakers' coaching job this weekend, and a strong performance is expected to move him to the forefront of the franchise's search, sources told ESPN.
Redick, an ESPN NBA analyst who played 15 years in the league, had a 90-plus-minute visit with Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka last month at the Chicago draft combine. Now, a trip to Los Angeles will go far deeper into detail on the job and the meetings will include Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss, sources said.
Pelinka and Redick have talked on the phone in recent days, and Redick understands and accepts Pelinka's lengthy pursuit of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley that initially stalled Redick's candidacy, sources said.
The Lakers offered Hurley a six-year, $70 million contract that he turned down Monday, sources said.
As New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego's candidacy gains traction in Cleveland, Redick has a chance to make his case in an all-day session with Pelinka, Buss and other senior decision-makers in Los Angeles, sources said.
As Pelinka did with Hurley, he still wants a teaching coach and staff who will prioritize the development of young players such as Max Christie, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and can design a creative approach to featuring Anthony Davis on both ends of the floor, sources said. Redick has a strong relationship with Lakers star LeBron James, with whom he co-hosts a basketball podcast.
Redick is the lead analyst for ESPN's game coverage and is currently working the Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals series.