Sam Cassell seems to be at the top of the Lakers’ list of candidates, as reports indicate that the team has started requesting authorization to interview assistant coaches.
After firing Darvin Ham, the Lakers are well on their way to selecting their next head coach. They have apparently been given permission to interview Sam Cassell, Micah Nori, James Borrego, and others as one of the first steps in the hiring process.
According to some rumors, JJ Redick is the early frontrunner for the position, but veteran NBA analyst Marc Stein stated that Cassell is still a strong contender in his most recent Substack article.
League sources feel Cassell is a worthy contender to keep an eye on in this situation. In addition to being represented by Klutch Sports, the same agency that represents LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers, Cassell is also renowned for having a special talent for building relationships with elite athletes in the locker room. Similar to how Ham was hired by the Lakers, Cassell is similarly long overdue for a head coaching position. To be honest, it’s astonishing (and absurd) that it hasn’t happened already.
It is significant to take note of Cassell’s relationship with Klutch Sports because the two stars of the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are also represented by the same agency. Rich Paul and the team getting along well might be advantageous to Cassell.
The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly considering adding Cassell to their roster in order to help Doc Rivers, so it appears that the Lakers are not the only team interested in his services this offseason.
Additionally, word is spreading in Chicago that, should Cassell fail to land a job with the Lakers, Rivers intends to move quickly to add him to his Milwaukee staff, according to league sources. Although Cassell is presently in his first season in Boston as a member of Joe Mazzulla’s staff, he has spent nine of his fifteen years as an NBA bench coach working under Rivers.
Rivers and Cassell have been friends for a long time, having worked together for years. Cassell began his career with Doc in 2008–09 as a player with the Boston Celtics. From 2014–2020, he served as an assistant coach for the Clippers. From 2020–2023, he followed Doc to Philadelphia with the Sixers.
It appears that the Bucks are more concerned with bolstering their coaching staff than they are with appointing an assistant who may succeed Rivers as head coach, despite the fact that other teams, like the Lakers, may view Cassell as a head coaching option. Even still, Cassell’s significance within the league is demonstrated by the fact that his assistant coaching position will never be able to compete with an NBA one.
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