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All signs point to the Lakers hiring ESPN analyst JJ Redick as their next head coach, per TNT’s Chris Haynes.
Appearing on “The Dan Patrick Show” on May 29, Haynes said he’d be “surprised” if the Rob Pelinka-led Lakers front office didn’t hire Redick as the successor to Darvin Ham.
“I will be very surprised if their next head coach is anybody but JJ Redick,” Haynes said. “Everything that I’m hearing is JJ Redick yet. From what I know he’s doing some background, calling some assistant coaching candidates who might be able to join his staff or might not be able to join his staff.
“So, yeah, I’m pretty positive it will be JJ,” Haynes added.
Some have raised concerns about a first-time coach such as Redick — who has no experience coaching at the pro level — taking over the high-profile Lakers job and the expectations that it brings. However, Redick wouldn’t be the first retired player to get an NBA coaching gig.
In 2014, Steve Kerr, Jason Kidd and Derek Fisher were handed the reins of the Warriors, Bucks and Knicks, respectively, without any head coaching experience. Similarly, Steve Nash got an opportunity with the Nets in 2020.
JJ Redick Won’t Be First Debutant Coach
While Kerr and Kidd would go on to become successful coaches, the other two didn’t last too long in their roles. As such, there’s always a risk involved with hiring coaches without prior experience. At least two former players — Matt Barnes and Jamal Crawford believe Redick has the requisite tools to be a successful NBA coach.
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on May 21, Crawford cited Redick’s friendship with LeBron James as a positive and why the podcast co-hosts could work as player and head coach in Lakerland.
“[In the podcast] you understand how LeBron sees the game, how JJ sees it, you see how they see it together,” Crawford said. “I think — whenever you have a great player like that — to have him on the same page as the coach. So he has a different [level of] respect for him. I know JJ wants to coach — he told me that may two-and-a-half years ago.”
Crawford labeled Redick a “brilliant basketball mind” with all the intangibles to be “a great coach” in the NBA.
Barnes echoed similar views on his former Clippers teammate.
“JJ’s a great mind. He definitely deserves a shot,” Barnes told TMZ Sports. “That Lakers seat is always going to be a hot seat, and it’s always going to be a fall seat. So whoever takes it better be ready. Gotta have tough skin.”
More to Lakers Coaching Search?
Even as some insiders such as Haynes and Marc Stein claim that Redick is atop the Lakers’ coaching search, Adrian Wojnarowski had a different take on the May 29 episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today”. Woj reported that as of May 29, the Lakers were “nowhere close” to finalizing their next head coach.
Woj named Pelicans assistant James Borrego — who met with Lakers brass for a second interview on May 29 — a “serious candidate” in the coaching search.
“Over the next few weeks, you’re going to see more candidates come back in as they dig a little deeper with the Lakers on this head coaching job,” Woj reported on May 29.
The Lakers’ coaching net also includes Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, Nuggets assistant David Adelman and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, per several insiders.
