The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they have officially hired JJ Redick to be the franchise’s next head coach. The terms of the contract are reported to be four years at around $8 million per season.
That is a strong commitment from Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers brass, who obviously are confident that Reddick will be able to make a seamless transition to coaching. The franchise will also be paying Darvin Ham for two more years after parting ways with him after just two seasons.
In his short time as a member of the media, Redick has displayed strong knowledge of Xs and Os and modern day offenses that make current teams successful. He recently started a podcast with Lakers star LeBron James discussing these types of things and the two seem to be in lockstep when it comes to basketball philosophies.
James’ future with the Lakers organization remains up in the air with him potentially testing free agency this offseason although with the team hiring his good friend in Redick, it’s hard to imagine him leaving at this stage of his career.
Regardless, the Lakers seem to envision Redick as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect, hoping he will be their man for years to come and will build them into a program with sustained success.
“I am incredibly humbled to join the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic and successful sports franchises in the world,” Redick said in a press release. “This opportunity for me is all about service to the players, team and organization. I want to express my utmost appreciation to Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka and the entire Lakers front office. My goal will focus on delivering championship-caliber basketball for Lakers fans everywhere, building on the tremendous history and legacy of the Lakers. I am excited to surround myself with a veteran, innovative staff as we work relentlessly to develop individual players and maximize the team’s potential. My family and I couldn’t be more ecstatic for this new chapter in our lives and look forward to immersing ourselves in the vibrant Los Angeles community.”
Considering the Lakers have not had seven full-time head coaches since Phil Jackson retired in 2011, there certainly will be a lot of pressure on Redick, as well as Pelinka, to make this work. In order for that to happen though, he will need to have a quality roster to work with around James and Anthony Davis.
Now the real work begins with the draft and free agency on the horizon. With Redick officially in place, he will likely be involved in front office conversations as they tweak the roster for the 2024-25 season and beyond.
Potential members of JJ Redick’s Lakers coaching staff emerging
Before the focus shifts to the roster, JJ Redick and the Lakers will have to put his coaching staff together. Being a first-time head coach, Redick will need a lot of experience around him and it appears they know that as they are already being reported to have interest in Scott Brooks, Rajon Rondo and Jared Dudley.
Having a former head coach on the bench to help guide Redick will be important, and Brooks could be the man for the job.
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