The NBA offseason is well underway but so far the Los Angeles Lakers have not been able to accomplish much. They hired a new head coach in JJ Redick, but other than that have not made any moves other than re-signing Max Christie.
While general manager Rob Pelinka is focused on trying to make trades to improve the roster, Redick’s main focus is on trying to put his staff together. He has said that he’d like to have two former head coaches on his staff to make up for his lack of experience.
So far though, the Lakers have not yet announced any coaching hires sans Redick. They have been linked to a number of former head coaches, and one of their main targets was reported to be Dwane Casey, who is with the Detroit Pistons front office.
After strong consideration though, Casey is deciding not to join Redick’s staff with the Lakers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
Casey has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Lakers staff, sources told ESPN. Casey wrestled with the decision but ultimately did not want to uproot his family at this time. https://t.co/dWDkKzUOlY
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 3, 2024
With Casey no longer being an option, some other names the Lakers have been linked to for Redick’s staff include Scott Brooks, Rajon Rondo and most recently Alvin Gentry.
Redick will want to have a staff together as quickly as possible, especially as the roster comes together so they can start coming up with and implementing their schemes as well as developing the young guys.
JJ Redick not coaching Lakers in Summer League
JJ Redick knows that putting his staff together has to be his No. 1 priority right now, and because of that he announced that South Bay Lakers head coach Dane Johnson will be coaching the team in Summer League.
“So Dane Johnson will be coaching the California Classic and Summer League. I will be heavily involved in practices. I will also be involved in some capacity during the games, during film and all of that.
“We talk about development, it’s an incredible opportunity for Dane and his staff to develop further. For me, I have to sort of prioritize a bunch of different things right now, including building out a staff.”
If Redick and the Lakers want to emphasize player development, then having an elite staff in place should rightfully be the priority, and hopefully it happens quickly.
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