James Borrego, the associate coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, is supposedly considered a “name to watch” in the Los Angeles Lakers coaching search.

“Borrego’s tenure as Charlotte’s head coach was successful. There, I went from 23 to 33 to 43 wins. Obviously spent a significant amount of time in San Antonio with Gregg Popovich. In this process, he will be a candidate, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stated on SportsCenter on Sunday at the 2:28 mark.

The 46-year-old Borrego has a 148-183 head coaching record combined with the Hornets and Magic. Prior to the 2023–24 season, he became a member of Willie Green’s coaching staff and managed the Pelicans’ offensive restructuring centered on Zion Williamson.

In terms of offensive efficiency, New Orleans ranked 11th this season, nine places better than in 2022–2023.

Wojnarowski reports that the Lakers are anticipated to start intensifying their coaching search this week. Due to the departures of former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer (Phoenix Suns) and Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee (Hornets), they have already missed out on two excellent prospective candidates.

Another Popovich disciple, Budenholzer, was viewed as the early favorite to take over the Lakers, having won the 2021 championship in Milwaukee. If Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue becomes available, the Lakers would probably also go after him, but that is regarded as improbable.

JJ Redick, an ESPN analyst and former NBA player who has expressed interest in sitting on the bench, is the biggest wild card in the mix. Redick, who was passed over for Lee in the Hornets hiring process, had an interview with the player and is directly connected to LeBron James through their podcast, Mind the Game.

Despite becoming a rising star in the podcast and media industries, Redick admitted that he missed the rivalry that exists in the locker room following a victory.

“The juice is what I’m missing the most. Redick stated on the Road Trippin’ podcast, “I miss the action, I miss the competition, I miss leadership, and I miss being on a team.” “After winning a road game, in a locker room, physically in a locker room. You are missing those things. As an athlete, there’s a high that transcends passing, shooting, dribbling, leading the charge, and dunking the basketball. These are all of these brief interludes from real gameplay. As former athletes, I think we all miss the other times. The other thing about coaching in general is the things I love to do and the things I miss doing. All of that is included in coaching.

The Lakers’ decision to select Redick would come as a surprise, if only because their window for championship contending is so narrow. Despite their close bond, James, who turns 40 in December, doesn’t really have time to develop with a coaching rookie.

Even if Borrego doesn’t have the name cache, he is a successful head coach and assistant who might be a more appealing choice for the Lakers.