Although it hasn’t officially been announced as of Friday, JJ Redick will be the Lakers’ next head coach.
The Lakers and 15-year NBA veteran agreed on a four-year contract on Thursday to make Redick the 29th coach in the franchise’s history.
Redick being the Lakers’ next coach has been the expected move in league circles since they fired Darvin Ham seven weeks ago – outside of a few days when the Lakers’ failed pursuit of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley, who turned down the Lakers’ six-year, $70 million offer and returned to the Huskies.
Even still, Redick and the Lakers have a lot to get done at this point in the offseason, with the draft just a few days away, the official start of free agency a week ago and summer league play kicking off in two weeks.
Here are a few tasks for Redick now that he’s the Lakers’ coach
1. Put together an experienced coaching staff
It’s common for first-time head coaches to experience early turbulence in their journey as they navigate the learning curve that comes with being the lead person on the bench for the first time.
This could especially be the case for Redick, who doesn’t have any professional or college coaching experience, and hasn’t coached above the youth level since retiring from his playing days in 2021.
Even with the hope that Redick’s ability to connect with players, forward-thinking mindset and work ethic will help make up for his lack of experience as a coach, surrounding the former Duke star with an experienced coaching staff will be important.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who’s arguably had the most success taking over a head coaching role without any prior professional coaching experience in the last 40 years, had longtime coach Alvin Gentry and longtime assistant coach Ron Adams on his original coaching staff.
The Athletic reported that former Oklahoma City Thunder/Washington Wizards head coach and recent Portland Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks is among the candidates for Redick’s staff. Brooks has more than 20 years of coaching experience, including 13 as a head coach.
Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, who also interviewed for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy and has been an assistant coach for the last 15 years since retiring as a player, and former Laker/current Dallas Mavericks assistant Jared Dudley were also listed as candidates. Cassell and Dudley might be challenging to pry from their current employers considering the success they’ve had so far.
Although his name hasn’t been rumored, longtime head coach and current Turner Sports broadcaster Stan Van Gundy could also make for an interesting addition to Redick’s staff considering Redick played for Van Gundy for nearly half of his career. Van Gundy was a head coach from 2003-21 (Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans) and an assistant coach for more than two decades before becoming a broadcaster.
Whether Redick or the front office will have more control over who will be on his coaching staff is unclear. But surrounding Redick with coaches who have not only been on the front of the bench but have been in the seat Redick is about to take should be a priority.
2. Establish a coaching philosophy
Redick’s high basketball IQ has been displayed during broadcasts and podcasts since his playing days ended.
He became an analyst/broadcaster for ESPN immediately after retirement and has hosted podcasts since 2016, including, “The Old Man and the Three” which is part of the ThreeFourTwo Productions company he co-founded, and “Mind the Game”, which he has co-hosted with Lakers star LeBron James since March.
It’s clear he values analytics and has a forward-thinking mindset.
But how does he believe this Lakers’ roster can best be maximized?
ESPN reported that Lakers GM and VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka wanted a coach who “can design a creative approach” to featuring Lakers All-NBA big man Anthony Davis on both ends of the court. What is Redick’s vision for how that can be accomplished?
Developing younger players like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie and last year’s first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino also remains a priority. How does Redick believe they can best be maximized?
What type of players and on-court system does Redick gravitate toward?
These answers will not only reveal things about Redick that aren’t yet known but could – and should – influence the Lakers’ personnel moves this offseason as they look to improve their roster around James and Davis.
3. Coaching summer league
Longtime college basketball coach and ESPN basketball broadcaster Fran Fraschilla subliminally offered Redick an array of advice on Thursday.
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Among the posts Fraschilla made on X (formerly known as Twitter), the broadcaster said: “Coach your Las Vegas Summer League team. You need every piece of experience possible.”
The Lakers will also play three games in the California Classic Summer League from July 6-10 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Although the schedule hasn’t been announced yet, they’re expected to play at least five games in Las Vegas from July 12-22.
That’s at least 5-8 games where Redick could gain experience coaching professional basketball players – something he’s yet to do.