After two rather successful seasons, the Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham. Being Los Angeles’ head coach comes with scrutiny and Ham felt that. This offseason, the team has had a few candidates on their radar. None bigger than former player and current analyst with ESPN, JJ Redick.
It’s no secret that the Lakers covet Redick as their next head coach. However, nothing has happened yet. Redick is on ESPN’s A-team broadcast with Doris Burke and Mike Breen calling the 2024 NBA Finals. That’s Redick’s top priority at the moment. Despite that, Shams Charania reported today that Redick is the front-runner for the head coaching job in Los Angeles.
If JJ Redick wasn’t calling the NBA Finals, he’d probably already be the Lakers’ next head coach
“The Lakers are zeroing in on JJ Redick as the front-runner for their head coaching job… Not only for the short-term – but the long-term. 4,5,6 years down the line.”@ShamsCharania with the latest on the Lakers coaching search pic.twitter.com/nm8v0GopgY
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 5, 2024
JJ Redick is a highly respected former player and now analyst within the NBA landscape. He played 15 seasons in the NBA before retiring after the 2020-21 season. With his podcasts and time on ESPN sports shows, Redick has proved that he has an elite basketball IQ. Additionally, Redick still has a great feel for the game at 39. He can still relate to players and that’s an overlooked trait of head coaches. While Redick has no previous coaching experience, he’s still in a position to be the Lakers’ next head coach.
Today, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the Lakers are “zeroing in” on JJ Redick as their next head coach. He noted that they would try and make it work long-term. At least four-to-six years. While these are reports we’ve already heard, Redick made a public comment about Charania’s reporting. He told the GoJo and Golic podcast that he would address Charania after the Finals end. Redick was not happy with how this had all been handled.
“My focus is on the NBA Finals. In terms of Shams, that will be addressed once the season is over. I’ll just say that.” @jj_redick addresses the elephant in the room — the rumors of the Lakers’ interest in him as their new Head Coach pic.twitter.com/6OwYnG5iHQ
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) June 5, 2024
There have been reports for months that Redick is going to be the next head coach of the Lakers. On March 29, Dan Patrick spoke to TNT’s Chris Haynes about Redick heading to LA. Haynes told Patrick that Redick had already begun calling coaches to join his staff. All signs point to Redick being the next head coach of the Lakers. JJ can’t say that publically right now, but there’s a real chance of him being the Lakers head coach in 2024-25.
