Report: A Few Lakers Players Don’t Like Idea Of Playing For JJ Redick

In notable NBA news, according to John Fanta of Fox Sports, a few Los Angeles Lakers players don’t like the idea of playing for JJ Redick. 

The Lakers are expected to hire Redick or Dan Hurley as their next head coach. 

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Redick has yet to coach above the youth level. He played 15 years in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.

Redick and Lakers star LeBron James co-host the “Mind The Game” podcast. LeBron has made it known that he is staying out of Los Angeles’ coaching search.

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers want to make sure Anthony Davis is aligned with the new head coach. Davis didn’t have a good relationship with Darvin Ham, who was fired after two seasons. 

Ham was 90-74 in the regular season and 9-12 in the postseason with LA. 

The Lakers went 47-35 in 2023-24. They lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs in five games.

Denver also swept Los Angeles in the 2023 conference finals. 

Along with Hurley and Redick, the Lakers have met with James Borrego, Sam Cassell and David Adelman. Los Angeles has offered Hurley a $100 million contract, per Fanta. 

Hurley signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with UConn after the 2023 championship season. His buyout to join the NBA would be roughly $1.9 million.

Davis and LeBron became teammates on the Lakers in 2019-20. Los Angeles won the 2020 championship, lost in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, missed the postseason in 2022, lost in the 2023 conference finals and lost in the first round this year. 

LeBron, who turns 40 next season, is expected to play one or two more seasons in the NBA. He can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason by declining his 2024-25 player option worth $51.4 million.