James Borrego Emerging as a Top Target for Lakers

The former Hornets head coach could be in the mix for the job in Los Angeles.

Nov 14, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans acting head coach James Borrego / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego could be back in the main seat on an NBA bench as early as this season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

"As the Los Angeles Lakers begin contacting head coaching candidates and scheduling interviews this week, JJ Redick, James Borrego and Sam Cassell have emerged as the franchise’s initial leading targets."

Following the 2021-22 season, Borrego became the first head coach in the history of the NBA to be fired after improving a team's win total by 10 or more games in consecutive seasons.

It wasn't an easy decision for Mitch Kupchak, Buzz Peterson, and Michael Jordan by any means but they felt like the back-to-back blowout losses in the Play-In Tournament proved that the team needed a new direction, a new voice.

In some ways, it's still difficult to look back and analyze whether or not parting ways with Borrego was the right call. In the two years since his firing, the Hornets have been one of the most injured teams in the association. LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Cody Martin, Gordon Hayward (prior to the trade), and others missed a significant amount of time which ultimately impacted Steve Clifford's chances to push the Hornets to the next level.

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