Lakers 'Zeroing In' on Magic Alum J.J. Redick as Head Coach
ORLANDO — The Los Angeles Lakers appear to have settled on their next coach: former Orlando Magic player J.J. Redick.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Lakers are "zeroing in" on hiring Redick. Los Angeles fired former head coach Darvin Ham after he went 90-74 in his two seasons at the helm, including leading the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals.
Los Angeles was eliminated by the Denver Nuggets from the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
Redick, 39, played for the Magic for six-plus seasons after they drafted him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Redick averaged 9.2 points per game and shot 39.8 percent on his 3-point attempts for Orlando. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2012-13 season.
In his 15 NBA seasons, Redick also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks. For his career, Redick averaged 12.8 points per game and made 41.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Redick is currently a commentator and analyst for ESPN and hosts two podcasts, including "Mind The Game" with LeBron James, who has a player option with the Lakers this offseason.
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