Due diligence: Lakers haven't even formally interviewed JJ Redick yet

Once the news broke that the Los Angeles Lakers were eyeing JJ Redick as a potential head coach candidate, it was all the NBA media could talk about. As a former player, Redick clearly understands how the game is played at the highest level. His Mind The Game podcast shows how much he truly enjoys the X's and O's of the game. It also proves he has developed a rapport with Lakers star LeBron James. Basically, the job looked like Redick's to lose.

Enter Dan Hurley, back-to-back national champion and head coach at UConn. Although Redick was the Lakers' first option, NBA Insider Shams Charania reported that once LA found out that Dan Hurley was having contract negotiations with UConn, they jumped the gun. They offered Hurley a six-year, $70 million contract to lure him to LA. Hurely's response? No thanks.

Yesterday, NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced that Hurley decided, "he ultimately couldn't walk away from a chance to make history and pursue a third straight NCAA title." Hurley will resume talks with UConn and, in time, sign a contract that should put him among the highest-paid coaches in college basketball.

Per @wojespn on Twitter/X:

If you're the Lakers, what now? Well, a formal JJ Redick interview might be a good place to start. In light of Hurley's decision to stay on campus at UConn, Woj reported the Lakers will "regroup and resume bringing in candidates for interviews with hope of hiring a coach by Draft," In that same report, Woj revealed the Lakers may conduct their "first formal interview" with JJ Redick. So, unless you count the Mind the Game pod as an interview in disguise conducted by the Lakers and LeBron, an interview between JJ Redick and the Lakers hasn't happened yet.

While Woj says there's been no formal interview, Shams did say Rob Pelinka met with JJ Redick on Fanduel's Run It Back TV. It's most likely safe to assume that while Redick has definitely been in the Lakers building, he probably hasn't had to perform the traditional interview song and dance yet. You know when you say your weakness is being a perfectionist, and all that good stuff. 

Hopefully, Redick doesn't take a page from Hurley's playbook and use LA as leverage only to leave them in the dust. With the NBA Draft quickly approaching, the Lakers still don't have a head coach. Whoever they decide to go with, the Lakers need to make a decision and they need to make it soon.