Former NBA veteran and ESPN color commentator JJ Redick agreed to a four-year contract to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Redick’s deal will pay him around $8 million per season, sources told The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick.
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka offered Redick the job Thursday morning after becoming sold on the 39-year-old’s basketball IQ and ability to connect with players, Wojnarowski adds. The Lakers executive reportedly believes that surrounding Redick with an elite coaching staff will shorten the learning curve for the first-time head coach.
Redick has also already started working on building an experienced staff around him, per Wojnarowski. Candidates include former head coach Scott Brooks, Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, Dallas Mavericks assistant and former Lakers forward Jared Dudley, and the recently retired Rajon Rondo, who also played with the franchise, according to Charania.
The Lakers pivoted back to Redick after UConn’s Dan Hurley declined a reported six-year, $70-million contract to take over as coach and leave the back-to-back NCAA title-winning program. Before the offer to Hurley, Redick was seen as L.A.’s top choice.
His role on ESPN’s top broadcasting team ended after the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship on Monday.
Redick is the sixth coach in the league to be hired without any prior experience as an assistant or head coach in the NBA, college, or international since 2010, according to ESPN’s Matt Williams. He interviewed with the Toronto Raptors last year for their vacancy and vied for a coaching role with the Charlotte Hornets this season. He was also viewed as a candidate for the openings with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
The highly-decorated Duke star averaged 12.8 points, two rebounds, and two assists over a 15-year playing career in the NBA, mostly spent with the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic. Known for his efficiency beyond the arc, he also knocked down 42% of his shots from deep.
Since retiring, Redick has launched popular podcasts including “The Old Man and the Three” and “Mind the Game” with Lakers star LeBron James, who has a $51.4-million player option for the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers dismissed Darvin Ham in May after two seasons with the franchise. He went 90-74 during his tenure but failed to guide L.A. to the Finals.
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