Former Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem believes the Lakers would be making a wrong decision if they hired JJ Redick as head coach.
Udonis Haslem gave his opinion on the news that the Los Angeles Lakers will have initial talks with coaching candidate JJ Redick.
The former Miami Heat player believes it wouldn't be wise for the Lakers to hire Redick as their next head coach.
"I'm gonna go ahead and say it. If it's JJ, it's gonna be a cynical locker room. You're gonna see guys that are gonna say, 'Is coach gonna do a podcast after the game with LeBron [James]?" Haslem said on ESPN.
"You're gonna have a cynical locker room with guys that are gonna side-eye everything that JJ says, 'cause they're gonna wonder is it JJ's message or LeBron's message?"
Aside from Redick, reports say that the Lakers are also looking at Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn, someone Haslem vouches for.
"I'm not just saying this because Chris Quinn is my guy, but Chris Quinn has relationships and coached LeBron James in Miami prior to LeBron going to the Lakers, so I know he's a guy that LeBron respects," Haslem said.
"Now, is he a true, true candidate? Who knows, because we understand how this goes, you might put names out there when you already know who you're gonna pick, but I think Chris Quinn really has an opportunity to go into that situation, some Miami Heat culture, but also sprinkled in with what they're doing now and what LeBron likes to do."
The Lakers are taking the first steps in hiring their next head coach by reaching out to candidates who they have little familiarity with.
The team fired Darvin Ham earlier this month after their first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.
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