Lakers Rumors: JJ Redick Eyed by Insiders as HC Front-Runner, Job Is 'His to Lose'

ESPN analyst and former NBA guard JJ Redick is reportedly the "early favorite" to land the Los Angeles Lakers' head coaching job.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Lakers job "might well be his to lose in the interview process" as the front office ramps up the search to replace Darvin Ham.

Redick, 39, does not have any coaching experience. He's worked as an analyst for ESPN and built a podcast network since his retirement from the NBA in 2021. While some expressed confusion at Redick's desire for a head coaching role given his media success, he said his competitive drive is not being satiated at the moment.

"What I really miss is the juice. I miss the action, I miss the competition, I miss leadership, I miss being on a team," Redick said on the Road Trippin' podcast. "In a locker room, physically in a locker room after winning a road game. You miss that stuff. There's a high that you get as an athlete that goes beyond passing and shooting and dribbling and taking a charge or dunking a basketball. Those are all these little moments of actual gameplay. It's the other moments that I feel we all miss as ex-athletes. And the part about coaching in general is the things that I miss and the things that I love doing that involves coaching. That all is part of coaching."

The Charlotte Hornets previously interviewed Redick for their head coaching vacancy but passed in favor of Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee.

Redick is the biggest name in what's expected to be an expansive search for the Lakers, who are heading into a critical summer with LeBron James expected to opt for free agency. It would be a surprise to see James leave Los Angeles as he approaches his 40th birthday, but he may be using the prospect of an exit to exert power over the Lakers front office.

James and Redick have a friendship off the floor that's translated into a podcast, Mind the Game, that's drawn largely rave reviews since debuting earlier this year. It's unclear if the obvious chemistry James and Redick have on the podcast would result in a strong player-coach relationship, but the show has at least provided evidence of mutual respect—a key when it comes to coaching a superstar of James' caliber.

Hiring a coach with zero experience would be a risk given James' age and the rapidly closing window on his career. That said, the Ham experiment was largely a bust and there aren't many obvious candidates on the market—particularly if the Clippers retain Tyronn Lue.

We've seen Jason Kidd and Steve Kerr have success taking coaching jobs without experience in the past, but we've also seen Steve Nash completely fall flat. Suffice it to say there will be a fair share of skeptics if Redick does wind up getting the job.