Los Angeles Lakers to hire NBA veteran JJ Redick with 4-year coaching contract, according to reports
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- The Los Angeles Lakers were on the hunt for a coach after firing Darvin Ham in May.
- JJ Redick, an NBA veteran, was a top contender for the Lakers coaching job, per ESPN.
- Sources told The Athletic that Redick impressed Lakers owners and key stakeholders in a recent meeting.
The Los Angeles Lakers have found its new head coach: NBA veteran JJ Redick, according to multiple reports.
Redick, a 15-year NBA player-turned-analyst and podcaster, agreed to a four-year contract to lead the Lakers, ESPN first reported.
The LA franchise has been on the hunt for a new coach after dismissing Darvin Ham, who was at the helm for just two seasons, in May.
The team had sought to reel in UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley for the job with a $70 million contract for six years but was rejected.
In a recent interview on "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz," Hurley said he made the decision because he had already locked in a contract with UConn.
"I don't need leverage here," Hurley said in the interview. "We've won back-to-back national championships at this place. This was never a leverage situation for me. I've had a contract in place here for a couple of weeks."
After Hurley's rejection, Redick, who played for six teams in his NBA career, including for Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers, became a top contender for the job, sources told ESPN.
Redick had met with key decision makers a few times in the lead-up to the job offer on Thursday, according to The Athletic.
He was first interviewed for the job around mid-May with Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' vice president of basketball operations and general manager, at the NBA Draft combine in Chicago, according to the report.
Redick had another meeting with Pelinka as well as with the Lakers' owner, the Buss Family Trust, and other key stakeholders on June 15 in Los Angeles, The Athletic reported. Multiple sources told the outlet that Redick impressed in the meeting.
Redick comes into the job with no formal coaching experience — The Athletic reported that he coached for his son's youth basketball team — but with basketball IQ that he's picked up during his time on the court. Sources told ESPN that Pelinka is optimistic that Redick will pick up on the job quickly with the help of a coaching staff.
A Lakers spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.