Lakers see Pat Riley potential in JJ Redick

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in the midst of the league’s most high profile head coaching search after the team parted ways with not only coach Darvin Ham but also his entire staff earlier this offseason. While the Lakers probably didn’t have enough in their locker room to compete for a championship this year no matter who was patrolling the sidelines, there were several questionable at best decisions that Ham made over his tenure that opened the door for his departure.

One of the biggest names that has been thrown around in the Lakers’ coaching search is that of former NBA player and current podcast and ESPN commentator JJ Redick, who, funnily enough, recently started the “Mind the Game” podcast with Lakers star LeBron James to discuss the ins and outs of certain elements of the game from a tactical perspective that delves beyond the cliche-laden sports media landscape of 2024.

Apparently, one reason that the Lakers are considering Redick for the position is that they see the former sharpshooter having a tenure with their franchise similar to what Pat Riley did back in the 1980s.

“Leaguewide, Redick — a former player and media analyst — has garnered buzz for the position. The Lakers are infatuated with Redick’s potential, according to league sources, viewing him as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect who could both help the franchise in the short term and lead it for years,” reported Jovan Buha and Shams Charania of The Athletic (via NBACentral on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter).

Charania and Buha also broke down what the Lakers are looking for in their ideal candidate.

The Lakers are taking a methodical approach with their process and are seeking a coach who will command the locker room and hold players accountable, as well as tirelessly game plan and provide a level of structure and organization, according to multiple league and team sources,” they reported.

An important decision