The Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching search has finally come to an end with the team expected to hire former player and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick.
After being the frontrunner all along, Redick will now make the jump to coaching with the Lakers inking him to a four-year contract.
Going with another first-time head coach is risky, and it appears Rob Pelinka and the Lakers know that as they plan to surround Redick with an elite coaching staff, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Pelinka became sold on Redick’s ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ and believes surrounding him with an elite coaching staff will help to shorten his learning curve into his first coaching job, sources said.
According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, some names already been linked as potential assistants are Scott Brooks, Rajon Rondo and Jared Dudley:
Assistant coaching candidates for Redick’s staff will include former head coach and recent Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks, former Lakers guard Rajon Rondo, ex-Laker and current Dallas Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley and Cassell, according to league sources.
These are all names that have been linked to the Lakers in recent weeks. Brooks is a former head coach so would add some much-needed experience to Redick’s bench.
Rondo and Dudley were, of course, members of the Lakers’ 2020 championship team and are known for their IQs and leadership. Rondo has never coached before but has remained close with people in the Lakers organization, especially LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Dudley is currently a member of Jason Kidd’s staff on the Dallas Mavericks so likely would need to be offered some sort of promotion to leave for L.A.
With the NBA Draft, free agency and Summer League just around the corner, the Lakers and Redick will likely move swiftly to put his staff together before the focus shifts towards the roster.
After playing in the league for 15 years, Redick has a ton of connections to different coaches so it will be interesting to see who he lands on to complete his staff.
Derek Fisher believes JJ Redick can succeed for Lakers
One person who believes JJ Redick can work with the Lakers is Derek Fisher, who also went right into coaching right after he finished playing. Fisher thinks Redick’s media background will help him with the transition to coaching, although that of course remains to be seen.
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