Sam Cassell Among NBA Assistant Coaches Lakers Likely to Interview, per Report

The Los Angeles Lakers will request to interview a handful of assistant coaches, including Sam Cassell, for their coaching vacancy.

Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sam Cassell / Brian Westerholt-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with coach Darvin Ham after their exit from the playoffs this season. The team is reportedly exploring a multitude of potential replacements for Ham in order to fill their coaching vacancy.

Amid their coaching search, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers have requested permission to interview a slew of assistants from across the league, including Boston Celtics' Sam Cassell, New Orleans Pelicans' James Borrego, Denver Nuggets' David Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, and Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn.

Of those five assistants, only Borrego has prior NBA head coaching experience. Prior to his stint in New Orleans, Borrego was the coach of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2022. He also served as the interim head coach for the Orlando Magic during the 2014-'15 season.

Cassell, 54, was a three-time NBA champion and a one-time All-Star across an esteemed 15-year playing career. Quinn, 40, featured in 241 total games across a six-year career in the league.

Adelman currently serves as the lead assistant on Mike Malone's coaching staff in Denver, while Nori is the lead assistant for the Timberwolves.

Los Angeles is also expected to interview various other candidates, with J.J. Redick reported to be in the running for the vacancy as well.

Ham had been the Lakers coach for two seasons, posting a record of 90–74. L.A. made the playoffs in each of his two seasons as coach, but were eliminated by the Nuggets both years, most recently in the first round of this year's postseason.