Another Rumored Lakers Coach Candidate Given Permission to Interview… with Cleveland

Will the Lakers sit this next possible hire out?

May 20, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during game three of the Western Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers still seem to be willfully sitting on the sidelines another wave of highly qualified head coaching candidates get interviewed.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that lead Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn and New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant have both been given clearance by their respective clubs to interview with the Cleveland Cavaliers. New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego and Golden State Warriors head coach Kenny Atkinson are the first candidates the Cavs were reported to be interviewing.

Quinn is the latest rumored Lakers head coaching candidate to interview with the only other team that currently has a head coaching vacancy, along with Borrego and Atkinson.

Quinn played for the Heat as a reserve point guard from 2006-10, and enjoyed stints with the New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and Cleveland Cavaliers, plus international clubs like Russia and Spain. After logging one season as an assistant coach with Northwestern, Quinn has been working under Erik Spoelstra since 2014. Since then, Miami has appeared in two NBA Finals and three Eastern Conference Finals, maximizing not just All-Stars and lottery picks, but also undrafted diamonds in the rough. That is a credit to the club's scouting acumen, yes, but also its sharp coaching innovations.

The Lakers could benefit from a bit of that "Heat culture" ethos in their approach to team-building. One would hope that they don't just chat with JJ Redick and Borrego in their interviews, but also open things up to conversations with Quinn, too.

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