Lakers' JJ Redick Has Surprising Take on Roster's Championship Upside

The Lakers coach now has new pieces to integrate with his roster following a trade.

Dec 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick watches game action against the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers shook up their roster by making a big move before the new year. They sent D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to Brooklyn to get Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in return. It's a move that will change how the Lakers operate moving forward.

Russell had a big game in his first game with the Nets, scoring 22 points on 9/13 shooting while adding eight assists. That offense is something that the Lakers will now miss, specifically the playmaking. L.A. doesn't have another point guard who can make the kinds of passes he can.

Still, the Lakers will be a much better defensive team. If they want to add more offense in the backcourt, they can still make a move closer to the trade deadline. There's a shot they also add a center to help off the bench. Surprisingly, JJ Redick doesn't seem to think they need to make a move like that.

Redick is in his first year as a head coach and he seems to like the group he has. Even before the trade that brought in Finney-Smith and Milton, Redick was confident that he could win with the guys he had.

“Rob [Pelinka] and I talk all the time, but my focus is on coaching this group and trying to maximize this group,” Redick said after Lakers practice on Friday. “Frankly, I have belief that when this group is healthy, we can compete. If there’s a move to be made, there’s a move to be made. But I’m focused on this group.”

Redick is supremely confident in his ability to get the most out of his guys. Having LeBron James and Anthony Davis on his team doesn't hurt his confidence, either. The issue is that both of those guys have the tendency to get hurt. If they do go down, the Lakers don't have a lot of depth behind them.

That was part of the reason why the Lakers made this trade. They are trying to build reliable depth that can step in for a game or two if James or Davis go down. That's another reason why they might make another move or two when the trade deadline gets closer.

The Lakers have some flexibility to add some depth pieces because the Russell trade gave them more cap space for this year. That could be the difference in them making another or staying pat.

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