Former NBA veteran and ESPN color commentator JJ Redick has agreed to a four-year contract to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ next head coach, sources informed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal will reportedly pay Redick around $8 million per season, according to sources from The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick.
Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka extended the job offer to Redick on Thursday morning. Pelinka was convinced by the 39-year-old’s basketball IQ and his ability to connect with players, Wojnarowski reports. The Lakers executive believes that an elite coaching staff surrounding Redick will help mitigate the learning curve for the first-time head coach.
Redick has begun assembling an experienced coaching staff, per Wojnarowski. Potential candidates include former head coach Scott Brooks, Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, Dallas Mavericks assistant and former Lakers forward Jared Dudley, and recently retired Rajon Rondo, who also played for the Lakers, according to Charania.
The Lakers turned back to Redick after UConn’s Dan Hurley declined a reported six-year, $70 million contract to leave his back-to-back NCAA title-winning program. Redick was initially considered the Lakers’ top choice before the offer to Hurley.
Redick’s tenure with ESPN’s top broadcasting team ended after the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship on Monday.
Redick becomes the sixth coach since 2010 to be hired without prior experience as an assistant or head coach in the NBA, college, or international leagues, according to ESPN’s Matt Williams. He interviewed with the Toronto Raptors last year and pursued a coaching role with the Charlotte Hornets this season. He was also considered for openings with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.
A highly decorated Duke star, Redick averaged 12.8 points, two rebounds, and two assists over a 15-year NBA career, mostly with the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic. Known for his three-point shooting, he hit 42% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Since retiring, Redick has launched popular podcasts including “The Old Man and the Three” and “Mind the Game” with Lakers star LeBron James, who holds a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers dismissed Darvin Ham in May after two seasons. Ham had a 90-74 record but did not lead the team to the Finals.
