Well, it appears all those JJ Redick rumors were more than just talk. He really is going to be the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the most celebrated team in the NBA. Or so they say.
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Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Redick has agreed to a four-year contract, securing his spot in Lakers lore. He has already started putting together a coaching staff after meeting with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka on Thursday morning.
"Pelinka became sold on Redick's ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ and believes surrounding him with an elite coaching staff will help to shorten the learning curve into his first coaching job, sources said," Wojnarowski wrote.
The move follows Los Angeles' failed pursuit of UConn coach Dan Hurley — and some will tell you Redick was the Lakers' guy all along. But they at least wanted to try Hurley first.
Redick, 39, comes to the job with no prior head-coaching experience, though he did just recently retire as a player. He also hosts a podcast with Lakers star LeBron James, which will now presumably come to an end (though James may find a new co-host).
Interestingly, one NBA executive told Hoops Wire that Hurley used Wojnarowski and the Lakers as leverage to get more money from UConn.
The exec said Hurley "was never going to leave UConn" and that he used his relationship with Wojnarowski and the "Lakers name" to get an increase in his salary from Connecticut. That opened the door for Redick.
New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego was believed to be another top candidate in LA. He very well could be headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers now that he's out of the running with the Lakers.
LA lost in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs to the Denver Nuggets, one year after losing to the Nuggets in the West finals. Redick will replace Darvin Ham, fired after two years on the job.
(Portions of this story were published with permission from Hoops Wire.)
