Lakers to Hire JJ Redick as Next Head Coach, per Report

Mike McDaniel | Jun 20, 2024

JJ Redick on 'The Old Man & The Three' podcast. /

The Los Angeles Lakers have hired ESPN NBA analyst and former 15-year veteran JJ Redick as the franchise's next head coach, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Thursday.

Redick, a first time head coach, agreed to a four-year contract worth over $8 million per season, and will now have an opportunity to potentially coach his podcast partner, LeBron James, next season in Los Angeles. James has a player option next season that would pay him north of $51.4 million to remain with the Lakers. He can simply opt into the final year of his contract, sign an extension to keep him in Los Angeles for the remainder of his career or he could hit free agency and play elsewhere.

But now with Redick in the fold, who James has a deep level of respect and admiration for, it would make sense for James to stick around with Redick next season and potentially beyond. Redick's basketball IQ, which he exhibited through the interview process, his time on television and with his two podcasts (one of which being with James) sold general manager Rob Pelinka on giving the first-time head coach a chance.

Pelinka and the organization also believe that Redick's ability to connect with players, coupled with pairing him with an elite group of assistant coaches, would help shorten the learning curve that is expected to come with leading an NBA bench for the first time.

Redick has long been seen as a potential candidate for the job, along with New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego and UConn Huskies coach Dan Hurley. But after Hurley declined the overtures from the Lakers, the focus turned back to Redick, who will dive head first into coaching one of the league's most iconic franchises.