The Los Angeles Lakers face numerous significant questions this offseason, and one of them involves the head coach situation. They fired Darvin Ham after their playoff loss to Denver and need to fill that hole before next season. Who are the front-runners and potential options to claim this position? And how is the public wagering on this scenario at NBA betting sites?
Lakers next head coach odds
The table below contains odds and betting trends from DraftKings this week. Lakers next head coach odds are only available in the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming, plus the province of Ontario.
| Odds (May 21) | Handle% (May 21) | Ticket% (May 21) | |
| JJ Redick | -140 | 91% | 37% |
| Chris Quinn | +1000 | 1% | 5% |
| Charles Lee | +3000 | 1% | 3% |
| David Adelman | +1200 | 1% | 4% |
| Sam Cassell | +500 | 1% | 6% |
| James Borrego | +425 | 1% | 3% |
| Micah Nori | +1000 | 0.4% | 3% |
| Tyronn Lue | +1000 | 0.3% | 3% |
| Terry Stotts | +3500 | 0.3% | 3% |
JJ Redick’s -140 odds have an implied probability of 58.3%, and yet he has an astonishing 91% of the handle to be named the Lakers’ next head coach. Given that amount of action, it’s surprising to see his odds not wildly juiced into the -300 range to reduce liability.
Outside of Redick, no other candidate has at least 2% of the handle or 7% of the tickets. The casual NBA fan likely does not even know who the vast majority of these candidates are, which may be a major contributor to the lack of handle dispersion.
Tyronn Lue could be the one to make a small dent in the gap for a few reasons. First, he’s easily the most infamous name on the list. Second, Paul George may depart this summer, which would leave the Clippers in shambles. If they are not a contender, then Lue may be eager to find a new destination. Finally, he coached LeBron James for three separate NBA Finals runs, including a title during the 2016 season. He seems to have a great relationship with James, who has significant sway with the organization.
The case for JJ Redick
Redick coaches his son’s youth basketball team, which is the extent of his coaching experience. However, he played in the NBA for 15 seasons and clearly understands the game at a high level. The fact that he was a 3-point specialist also may help him avoid the trap of previous players devaluing the arc because it was not crucial during their own playing days.
Meanwhile, Redick and James started a podcast recently where they discuss basketball strategy and general analysis, such as defensive tactics on baseline out-of-bounds plays. His relationship with James could give him a strong boost.
Finally, the Lakers are reportedly intrigued with Redick’s potential and view him as a “Pat Riley-like coaching prospect” per NBA insider Shams Charania. If that’s the case, then Redick is the likely frontrunner in Los Angeles’ eyes given Riley’s legendary status.
Dan Hurley enters the race
Redick has been the popular target for Los Angeles over the past few weeks, but was it all a smokescreen? Per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Dan Hurley has actually been the Lakers’ top target since the beginning of their search. The franchise is reportedly meeting with Hurley on Friday, June 7 and will come prepared with a significant offer. The UConn head coach is coming off back-to-back national championships and devised one of the most ingenious offensive schemes that college basketball has ever seen. It’s certainly not difficult to see why the Lakers would covet Hurley. If Los Angeles secures a deal, then the signing would have significant ripple effects across college basketball and could initiate a transfer-portal surge.
