Immediately after the Los Angeles Lakers decided to part ways with head coach Darvin Ham at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, JJ Redick’s name began to surface as a potential replacement.
Redick has not coached at any level since retiring from playing in 2021 outside of his young children, but he has a known relationship with LeBron James. The two started a podcast together earlier this year, discussing Xs and Os and the best schemes in the NBA today.
James made it clear, however, that he is not involved in the Lakers’ coaching search this time around and will leave the hiring up to the front office. Still though, Redick emerged as the favorite to land the job after the first round of interviews.
It appears he continued to impress the Lakers brass as the interview process went on as according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the franchise is zeroing in on Redick on as the favorite to be their next head coach:
The Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick as the front-runner to be the franchise’s next head coach, league and media industry sources told The Athletic.
No final decision has been made yet, and the Lakers still have steps remaining in their head-coaching search process, league sources said. But the indications are strong that Redick is their leading choice at this stage.
The Lakers’ search has been seriously focused on two candidates — Redick and Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego — over the last couple of weeks, league sources said.
While nothing is official yet, Redick is continuing to impress the Lakers in the interview process:
The Lakers have been seeking a coach who has the potential and staying power to be their head man for now and the long-term, as someone who will command the locker room and hold players accountable, as well as tirelessly gameplan and provide a level of structure and organization, according to those sources. It’s believed the franchise views Redick as the candidate who can check those boxes, those sources said.
Sources have described Lakers officials as “infatuated” with Redick and his potential as a coach.
Things have seemed to be trending this way for a while, and now it appears likely that Redick will get the first coaching opportunity of his post-playing career.
The hiring of another first-time head coach is certainly risky for the Lakers, who are hoping to compete for championships right away. Redick is known for being a bright basketball mind, as he has shown in his short media career, but he has yet to show if he could lead a locker room full of grown men with title aspirations.
Regardless, the hiring of Redick would seem to appease James, who has a contract decision coming up and could choose to test free agency and even leave the Lakers if he chooses. With Redick likely taking this job though, it’s hard to imagine he didn’t consult with James beforehand to make sure that the 39-year-old will be sticking around.
Potential targets for JJ Redick’s coaching staff on Lakers
Even before JJ Redick was reported to be landing the Lakers job, some potential targets for his coaching staff began to emerge as it was reported that they had interest in James Borrego, Sam Cassell and Jared Dudley.
Knowing Redick is a first-time head coach, the Lakers will likely look to surround him with a lot of experience on his staff, and these names certainly fit that bill. Borrego is a former head coach who is known for his offense, while Cassell and Dudley are both former players and current assistants that are known to command the respect of players around the league.
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