Stephen A. Smith CALLS OUT Los Angeles Lakers suggesting Cavs have lucrative HC job

Head coaching candidates are looking at options which have less pressure than that of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Stephen A. Smith CALLS OUT Los Angeles Lakers suggesting Cavs have lucrative HC job

Stephen A. Smith calls out Los Angeles Lakers suggesting the head coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers is more lucrative

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in pursuit of their next head coach ever since the end of their season. Names such as JJ Redick, James Borrego, and lately Dan Hurley have been touted as the next in line to guide LeBron James and the team.

However, after losing out on Hurley, the matter is up in the air as to who will take the helm. Stephen A. Smith believes potential candidates will rather prefer the job opening at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The topic of lucrative HC jobs was being discussed on First Take on ESPN. To this Stephen A. Smith gave this hot take.

FS Video
I would have to concede the Cavs are the better job at this moment in time. I think that the expectations are exponentially higher, pressure cooker that it is, particularly when you are representing the Lakers. And although Jeanie Buss is one of the great people you'll ever meet. The reality is that sometimes when you are in that market, you have to succumb to the pressure. And that can be a headache. So, if you are trying to have tenure at some place, it certainly would be Cleveland over Los Angeles.
Stephen A. Smith said

Smith suggested that the Lakers have essentially shot them in the foot when trying to lure head coaching candidates. Something that creates a pressure situation which could be difficult to manage.

The long time ESPN analyst believes the Cleveland Cavaliers have a plethora of young talent at their disposal. That and the much less pressure to succeed immediately will help head coaches work without distractions.

On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the lookout for their 4th head coach in the past 6 years. Therefore, coaches applying could have reservations.

Los Angeles Lakers running out of options

Once Dan Hurley said no, the Los Angeles Lakers were already on the back foot, as initially the leading candidates were JJ Redick and James Borrego. But then, they went in to try and lure Hurley as he was a better option than the others. He has championship winning experience and, more importantly, player development.

With Hurley out, the options fall back on Redick and Borrego. However, Redick, who was clearly seen as a frontrunner, might have been ticked off by their pursuit of Hurley. The leaks coming from inside the league is that he might have taken himself out of contention. Borrego could feel the same, even though he is now the frontrunner for the job. Other names, such as Kenny Atkinson, Sam Cassell are still out there. But as the days go by, the list is getting shorter.

Maybe just as Stephen A. Smith implied, Borrego finds the Cleveland Cavaliers to be a better and, more importantly, a safer long-term bet. If the Lakers miss out on getting a good head coach, they might also end up losing LeBron James.

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