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Redick, 39, played 15 seasons in the NBA but
has no prior coaching experience.
That didn't matter to the Lakers, who reportedly made Redick
their top target after UConn coach Dan Hurley rejected a
six-year, $70 million offer to leave the college ranks -- where
he is a two-time reigning national champion -- for Hollywood.
Redick will bid farewell to ESPN, where he has worked as an NBA
television analyst and recently served on their lead broadcast
team.
"Congrats to my man @jj_redick," ESPN personality Stephen A.
Smith wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Anyone who knows anything
about you knows that you have that coaching itch. Wishing you
nothing but the best."
Redick also co-hosts a basketball podcast with Lakers star
LeBron James, launched last March. James is due to become a free
agent at the start of the new league year but can opt into a
$51.4 million player option to stay in Los Angeles.
ESPN reported that Redick is working to assemble a coaching
staff that will surround him with experienced voices.
He replaces Darvin Ham, who was fired by the Lakers fired after
two seasons, which included an appearance in the Western
Conference finals in 2023. Ham posted a 90-74 record but was
9-12 in the playoffs since replacing Frank Vogel in 2022.
In 14 NBA seasons with Orlando, Milwaukee, the Los Angeles
Clippers, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Dallas, Redick had
career averages of 12.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per
game.
He remains the all-time scoring leader in Duke history, with
2,769 points over four seasons playing for coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Redick was the 2006 national college player of the year.
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