Latest on Lakers Coach Search as JJ Redick Rumored to Sign Deal After Dan Hurley Snub

The LA Lakers have reportedly signed JJ Redick as the new coach of the franchise. The Lakers have not made an official statement yet but various reports have confirmed the signing.

Shams Charania of NBA Insider broke down the contract details of Redick’s deal. “It’s a four-year deal for JJ Redick to become the next head coach of the Lakers. I’m told it’s around $8 million per year,” Charania said.

Redick spent 15 years in the NBA as a player and is a former NBA analyst at ESPN. Redick reportedly met with Lakers’ owner Jeanie Buss and their vice president Rob Pelinka as the negotiations continued throughout this week.

This signing may also maximize Laker’s chances of keeping Lebron James at the franchise. James could decline his $51.4 million contract option this month to become a free agent but the arrival of Redick may give him a reason to extend his stay at LA.

Redick has a very good relationship with James as they are well known to co-host a basketball podcast, “Mind the Game”. The podcast is widely loved by basketball fans around the world. The duo often talk about high-level tactics and motivation on the show.

Redick, who is just six months older than James, has limited experience when it comes to coaching. However, his whole life has revolved around basketball, and is the leading scorer in the history of Duke, where he played four seasons under Mike Krzyzewski.

Before Redick, Dan Hurley was the main target of the LA Lakers. Hurley was reportedly offered a $70 million contract but the offer was rejected last week. He opted to remain with UConn and have his sights set on guiding the Huskies to a third consecutive NCAA championship.

Redick will replace previous coach Darvin Ham, who was fired on May 3 despite leading the Lakers to two playoff appearances and a Western Conference finals appearance in 2023.