Lakers rumored interest in head coaching candidate could be a match made in pod

The Los Angeles Lakers are being extremely aggressive in finding their new head coach before other franchises start to have head coach vacancies. One possible hire would be immensely connected to their All-NBA star LeBron James.

ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski appeared on NBA Countdown and told the nation that the Lakers "are drilling down" on JJ Redick during their "initial research" phase of their head coaching search.

"One name that the Lakers have been drilling down on in their initial research: JJ Redick. He's certainly somebody the Lakers are intrigued with," said Wojnarowski, h/t Bleacher Report. "They've been making a lot of calls to learn more about him. But expect this to be a wide-ranging and a lengthy search for L.A."

Of course, the Lakers would be a very interesting squad with JJ Redick as head coach since their long-term star LeBron James hosts a podcast with him. While the launch of this podcast is fairly recent, it will still be a

Based on various reports from around the league, the All-NBA veteran seemed to grow a friendship with Redick with the launch of Mind the Game with LeBron James, the player turned ESPN commentator host. Beyond Redick just demonstrating that he has a great basketball mind on podcasts and with ESPN, the former Duke player played in the NBA for 15 years.

During that time, the veteran played for six teams averaging 12 points per game on 44 percent shooting. The semi-journey man was most known for his run with Lob-City Los Angeles Clippers where he played a key role from 2013 to 2017. Redick has a lot of high basketball IQ, but he is extremely inexperienced having never been assistant coach. As the Lakers continue to debate candidates, is Redick the right choice for the Lakers?

Is J.J. Redick the right choice for the Lakers head coaching job?

With Redick's lack of coaching experience, it's easy to see a world where the former NBA veteran doesn't do well. The former Duke guard will likely have some growing pains that the Lakers cannot afford to have with the short-time frame that the franchise has when it comes to competing for a deep run in the playoffs.

Even though this would not be the best move for the Lakers, the restraints on L.A's payroll when it comes to paying head coaches make it seem like the former guard will end up being a top choice for the job. With a short career in sports media, Redick will likely not command a lot of money when it comes to salary.

While the Lakers probably need a top assistant or former head coach if they want to compete for a title, hiring a friend of James on the cheap is a way to keep the star in L.A. without building a contender.