The Los Angeles Lakers head coaching search is officially over. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, they have agreed to hire former sharpshooter turned ESPN analyst JJ Redick for the job.
Redick will be taking over for Darvin Ham, who lasted two seasons on the job before being fired after their exit from the 2024 NBA Playoffs. It is a four-year deal for Redick, who has already started working on a staff to put around him.
You can expect that staff to be loaded with veteran coaches, likely guys with some head coaching experience themselves. What sold the Los Angeles Lakers and Rob Pelinka on JJ Redick is his ability to connect with players and his high basketball IQ.
They are hoping that an elite assistant coaching staff will help lessen the learning curve that JJ Redick will endure. He has no prior coaching experience at the NBA level, retiring from the league only three years ago.
JJ Redick spent 15 seasons in the NBA as a player and was one of the most lethal 3-point shooters the game has ever seen. He knocked down 41.5 percent of his attempts in his career, including leading the NBA during the 2015-16 season, shooting at a 47.5 percent clip.
Following UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley turning down the Los Angeles Lakers for the job, their attention shifted to Redick. He will have a tough job ahead, as the team wants to develop younger talent such as Max Christie, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura while contending for a title with LeBron James and Anthony Davis still on the roster.
The relationship that JJ Redick has with James certainly played a part in his hiring. It is a strong one, as the two host a podcast together, providing an in-depth analysis of NBA games. The podcast co-hosts will now be working together full-time, helping the Los Angeles Lakers get back on track.
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