Latest @BleacherReport How JJ Redick Could Actually Thrive as Next Los Angeles Lakers Coachhttps://t.co/lWrfVvy4Hb
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) May 3, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers are widely expected to part ways with second-year head coach Darvin Ham as early as the end of the week, per multiple reports. The next step would be a relatively broad coaching search, though the result may be simple: LeBron James’ Mind the Game podcast partner, JJ Redick.
On the surface, it may seem odd that a team with title aspirations would hire a coach with zero professional coaching experience. Recently, Redick surfaced as a potential coaching hire for the rebuilding Charlotte Hornets, a team that can afford to be patient as Redick learns the ins and outs of the trade. That’s a very different situation than the championship-or-bust Lakers.
But with the right staff, he could make sense for the Lakers, and his connection to James is undeniable. Should the team choose to stay the course with the 39-year-old legend, at roughly $162 million for three more years, Redick makes sense.
The Lakers don’t seem willing to lose their headliner, are likely to pay him and may even draft his son, Bronny James. Committing to the King means committing to the whole LeBron James experience, including a potentially handpicked Ham replacement.
It’s presumptive to say James wants Redick, but the two share a common view of the game and a natural trust. Unless the Los Angeles Clippers scapegoat Tyronn Lue for yet another Kawhi Leonard-less postseason, Redick seems the most logical choice.
Redick is professional and generally perceived as a bit arrogant and strong-willed, which is not meant to be a criticism. He also had a 15-year NBA career, and recently finished his playing career after the 2020-21 season before making quick inroads into the media space. The grind of a season and locker room politics will be familiar to him.
Regarding coaching style, there’s not much of a track record, as scouting videos on his son’s “fourth-grade travel team” may be challenging to locate, as mentioned on Pablo Torres Finds Out.
But Redick turned down multiple overtures to be an assistant last offseason, including from the Boston Celtics, “I could be helping [Jayson] Tatum win a championship. Instead, I’m trying to figure out how a nine-year-old can beat a 2-3 zone,” he told Torres.
Executive of the Year Brad Stevens’ whiff is another positive endorsement. Redick has the coaching bug; it’s just a matter of when and where, and the Lakers should trump the rebuilding Hornets.
“You certainly miss the competitive side of professional basketball when you retire, and that’s probably the biggest itch,” Redick told the Dan Patrick Show last May. “… I’m in a fortunate situation that I can kind of wait and see if there’s anything that materializes that’s sort of a perfect fit.”
James believes in Redick enough to partner with him on a podcast, and if he pushes to make it happen with the Lakers, best believe he views Redick as a better tactician than Ham.
Where the Lakers front office needs to do its work is making sure that a qualified staff with experience supports Redick.
Terry Stotts was the runner-up for the job to Ham and has a strong reputation as an offensive coach. While a Frank Vogel-type for defense would be ideal, if the Phoenix Suns part ways with their coach, don’t expect the former L.A. head man to return as an assistant to the Lakers.
Vogel’s staff, primarily hand-picked by the front office, included former head coaches such as Lionel Hollins and Jason Kidd. The Lakers primarily let Ham choose his assistants but later regretted the lack of experience on the bench behind him. Stotts, plus a seasoned defensive coordinator, could make up for what Redick lacks as a rookie coach.
Phil Handy, a high-level developmental coach, believed to have a positive relationship with James, could survive the transition.
Above all, communication with the Lakers’ top star is paramount, and a quick perusal of James and Redick’s podcast shows an obvious comfort level that should lead to a productive marriage.
The Roster
Whoever the Lakers get to coach next season will need a better (or at least healthier) roster. The 2023-24 Lakers never quite proved themselves, thanks to a revolving door of injury spells. Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and James were mainly healthy, but other expected contributors such as Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood were not.
Adding bulkier size to slow Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić would be wise—think Dwight Howard’s archetype. The margin in most of the first-round losses to Denver was slim, and a 5-10 percent improvement against Jokić could have been the difference.
D’Angelo Russell has a player option, which he’ll use to explore free agency in June (not technically legal but commonplace in the NBA). If one of the few teams with cap room commits to paying him (the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, etc.), he’ll opt out and leave.
If not, the Lakers may have negotiating leverage. If he opts in, the team might look to trade him, or keep him to see if the coaching change makes the difference.
Los Angeles will likely have two draft picks (Nos. 17 and 55). The latter would preferably be used to draft Bronny James. The New Orleans Pelicans can take the Lakers’ first-rounder as part of the initial Davis trade but are expected to defer the selection to 2025.
Other Lakers with options include Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish and Wood. Max Christie, Colin Castleton, Harry Giles III and Skylar Mays will be restricted free agents, while Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie will be unrestricted.
L.A. will also look at the trade market, weighing potential opportunities for a third star like Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young. With the restrictive rules of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, the franchise is probably better suited to focusing on proper depth, youth, size, athleticism, shooting and defensive acumen over big names.
Most of these decisions, including possibly a Redick hiring, will be made over the next two months, as the 2024-25 calendar year officially begins July 1.
