The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t take long to pivot after missing out on hiring Dan Hurley as they have announced the hiring of JJ Redick. This actually felt like the move that was coming for weeks, but the executives made one last ditch effort to try to land Hurley first.
Announced as the Lakers’ new head coach on Monday, JJ Redick also finalized a four-year contract with the team. The former NBA player met with owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and they officially offered him the job on Thursday.
Redick played in the NBA for 15 years after starting for the Duke Blue Devils, and he has been doing work as an NBA analyst. He does have a good relationship with LeBron James, and that is something that the Lakers were looking for in a new head coach.
Even though he has no coaching experience in the NBA, the team believes that he will be able to assemble a great coaching staff around him. Redick is known for having a high basketball IQ, and he has shown the ability to connect with players.
Assembling the coaching staff will be step number one for Redick, but he also needs to spend time preparing for the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. Redick joins the Los Angeles Lakers front office in tackling crucial roster decisions.
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Potential Assistant Coaches
Assembling a coaching staff is going to be a difficult task for Redick, but there are a number of options available to him. Stan Van Gundy is an ideal choice for a new head coach like Redick as he is someone that has had success in the league.
Van Gundy is currently working for TNT as an analyst, but also coached Redick during the shooting guard’s first few years in the league. Monty Williams was recently fired by the Detroit Pistons and he could be someone that emerges as a top choice for Redick.
Since Redick has so many connections through his 15 years in the league, he could also be looking to hire an assistant coach who was a former player. Rajon Rondo is someone that comes to mind right away as he has relationships with LeBron James and also Anthony Davis.
Kevin Ollie is another name to watch during this search as he had a 14-year career in the NBA and has already done some coaching. The Lakers want to prioritize putting together a coaching staff that can teach the young players, and getting some past college coaches into the mix would help with that.
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Cavaliers Hiring Atkinson
There are coaching openings every single year in the NBA, and this offseason has been no different. The Cleveland Cavaliers were looking for a new head coach as well, and they decided to go with Kenny Atkinson.
Atkinson has been working as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, and he has been around franchises that have had plenty of success. James Borrego was the other name in the mix for this job, but he is now expected to take over the job with the Detroit Pistons.
This should be a good situation for Atkinson as he is taking over a team that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals a year ago in the 2024 NBA Playoffs Bracket. Cleveland wanted to bring in Atkinson due to his work with Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen as a member of the Brooklyn Nets coaching staff.
The Cavaliers face a big decision with star guard Donovan Mitchell, and they need to try to convince him to stay. The Cavaliers expect to announce the terms of this deal soon.
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