With JJ Redick now in place as the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach, the next priority for the team will be to fill out his coaching staff.
NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Dwane Casey and Jacque Vaughn to become part of JJ Redick’s coaching staff.

Redick has the potential to be a successful NBA head coach, but his inexperience is frequently mentioned.

Rumors indicate that Redick and the Lakers recognize the necessity of forming a strong coaching staff, which includes bringing in former NBA head coaches, and this is indeed part of their strategy.

What Dwane Casey and Jacque Vaughn bring to the Lakers bench
Casey and Vaughn would both be excellent additions to JJ Redick’s staff due to their head coaching experience. Casey has served as head coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2005-07), the Toronto Raptors (2011-18), and most recently, the Detroit Pistons (2018-23). He has a record of 494-570 over 14 seasons as a head coach with three different teams.

Vaughn coached with the Brooklyn Nets for the past seven seasons. He started as an assistant on Kenny Atkinson’s staff before the 2016-17 season. Vaughn assumed the role of interim head coach for the final 10 games of the 2019-20 season following Atkinson’s termination.

After hiring Steve Nash as head coach in September 2020, the Nets retained Vaughn as an assistant. Vaughn assumed the interim coaching role again after Nash was fired early in the 2022-23 season, and he was officially named the Nets’ full-time coach on November 9, 2022.

Vaughn compiled a record of 64-65 with the Nets over the past two seasons before they fired him on February 19.

What JJ Redick wants in his bench
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick speaks to the media during an introductory news conference at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Redick discussed his ideal coaching staff on Mason and Ireland on ESPN LA Radio, emphasizing a mix of experienced former head coaches and ambitious up-and-comers. He emphasized that he wasn’t seeking yes-men who would simply agree with everything he said.

“We are completely aligned in that the front of the bench should have experience. We definitely want at least a couple former head coaches in the NBA there. Behind the bench we want young, hungry, innovative, fresh, self-doers, self-motivated, that’s what we want behind the bench,” said the newly hired Lakers head coach.

“In terms of the voice, in terms of the disagreement or the yes men, I certainly want people to disagree with me. I certainly want to have conversations about strategy, game-planning where there is disagreement and we can talk through it. The key part is that there is one voice. If I say it and then an assistant coach goes and delivers the message, it’s me saying it. I think that’s the big part. There has to be a level of trust, collaboration, all that stuff. But the disagreement has to exist too,” Redick continued.

Other potential Lakers assistant coaches
Stein also reported last month that the Lakers were considering Sam Cassell, James Borrego, and Jared Dudley as potential assistants. Cassell and Borrego were both interviewed by Los Angeles during their head-coaching search.

Another name that has frequently surfaced is Scott Brooks, the former head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards.

For the Lakers, having this kind of experience on the bench supporting JJ Redick would be a major advantage. Whether they can finalize these arrangements remains uncertain.