According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell is among the top candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers head coaching job. The Lakers are expected to begin the formal process this week.
Along with Cassell, JJ Redick and James Borrego are also leading prospects for the gig.
Cassell joined the Celtics coaching staff ahead of the 2023-24 campaign after spending three years with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he worked under Doc Rivers. He followed Rivers from the LA Clippers, and before that stint, Cassell worked on the Washington Wizards staff from 2009 to 2014.
During his brief stint in Boston, Cassell has worked closely with superstar Jayson Tatum, who credits the assistant for helping him improve his post game.
“That’s something that we work on every day after practice,” Tatum said in the preseason. “Just a little bit at a time, and you know, like I said, that’s something we do every single day after practice.”
Tatum spoke very highly of Cassell.
“It’s been great,” Tatum said of having Cassell as his position coach. “You know, he talks a lot; he’s a very animated guy, a lot of personality, but he’s, you know, very funny. A lot of great stories, and he knows a lot. He played 14–15 years in this league. Well-respected. And it’s great to have somebody that has been a player, had a lot of success, won championships. Learning a lot, and we love having him around.”
Prior to his coaching career, Cassell spent 15 years in the NBA, including a final stretch with the Celtics, with whom he won a championship in 2008.
Boston has already lost one assistant this summer in Charles Lee, who recently accepted the Charlotte Hornets head coaching position. Lee was the top assistant under Joe Mazzulla this season.
Last summer was Mazzulla’s first chance to re-shape his coaching staff after landing the job under unusual circumstances in 2022. He and the Celtics brought in two of the top assistants in the NBA, but just one year later, both could be heading out for bigger opportunities.
