Lakers recent coaching news offers ominous sign for Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Lakers hired J.J. Redick to be their head coach, but he was not their first choice. They could not convince the Clippers to part with Tyronn Lue. The Lakers chased Dan Hurley, who opted to stay with UConn. There was always interest in Redick, but he was far from their dream hire.

The Lakers are an iconic franchise with massive expectations. They want star power and believe they should compete for a championship every year. Wearing the purple and gold means winning and changes will be made if victories do not follow.

Things are certainly not all sunshine in Lakerland. Hiring a first-time head coach means putting veterans on his staff to ease the transition. The rumors of the Lakers coaching targets should give fans an uneasy feeling about the franchise’s future.

The Lakers failed to sign several top targets before landing two former head coaches

Anthony Irwin ran through a lengthy list of assistant coaches the Lakers wanted to join Redick’s staff. James Borrego, Terry Stotts, Phil Handy, and Sam Cassell were just some of the names that turned them down. Each had their reasons, but it is not a strong sign for the Lakers.

Marc Stein went even further by noting LA pursued Dwane Casey and Jacque Vaughn (subscription required). It appears the Lakers struck out on several targets before landing their top assistants.

LA did sign Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan to join Redick on the bench. The two experienced head coaches will help, but they were not the franchise's ideal targets.

If Los Angeles was the top job available, their first candidates would have jumped at the chance. It did not happen because of the situation. The Lakers are on their seventh head coach since Phil Jackson left in 2011. Los Angeles wants to win a championship and is quick to make changes when those goals are not met.

Top assistants not wanting to join the team reflects the state of the roster too. LeBron James turns 40 in December, and the Lakers did little to improve this offseason after being bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Nuggets. Los Angeles has won just two playoff series in the four years since bringing home the title inside the bubble. Their roster is simply not skilled enough to meet ownership's expectations.

Not getting their top coaching or free-agent targets is a sign the Los Angeles Lakers are headed toward a disappointing season. They will be in the playoff mix as long as LeBron and Anthony Davis are healthy, but won’t be title contenders. Expect to see LA back in the Play-In Tournament and vying for one of the final two playoff spots in the West in 2025.

Coaches around the league know the Lakers are not title contenders. Players proved it by signing elsewhere, so fans should not be disappointed when the team falters. The writing has long been on the wall.