Report: Former Sixer JJ Redick agrees to deal to become Lakers’ head coach report,former,sixer,jj,redick,agrees,to,deal,to,become,lakers,head,coach,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-rumors-news


The Lakers’ head coach hunt has been a long and somewhat messy process. After their top target, Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley, turned down their massive six-year, $70 million offer, the Lakers have had to shift their focus to other candidates.

Now, the candidate who’s frequently popped up in rumors connected to the team has finally been confirmed as their new hire. Former Sixers guard and current ESPN NBA analyst JJ Redick has agreed to a four-year deal to become the Lakers’ head coach, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Redick’s always been a high-IQ player, and has demonstrated his impressive understanding of the game ever since he’s gotten into podcasting and working as an analyst. Taking over as Lakers head coach without any previous assistant experience is obviously a massive gig for someone’s very first coaching job, but it’s clear how highly he’s regarded around the NBA. It’ll be interesting to see how he leads the team and what staff L.A. assembles around him.

While this hire doesn’t really affect the Sixers, it probably cools off the fun (albeit fairly unlikely) theory that LeBron James could potentially head elsewhere in free agency and maybe even land up in Philadelphia. LeBron obviously has a good relationship with Redick, someone he’s friends with and they co-host their Mind the Game podcast together.

The most realistic major target for the Sixers this offseason remains Paul George, and our David Early has all the latest rumors rounded up right here.

Top college coach Hurley turns down Lakers offer


Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (AP Photo))

LOS ANGELES – Dan Hurley has rejected a six-year offer reportedly worth a total of $70 million from the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and is remaining men’s basketball coach at the University of Connecticut, a statement said Monday.
The Lakers would have made the 51-year-old American, who guided the Huskies to US college crowns in 2023 and 2024, among the half dozen best-paid coaches in the NBA.
But Hurley turned down the deal after meeting on Friday with the Lakers.
In a statement released by the University of Connecticut on Monday, Hurley said he would remain in college basketball.
“I am humbled by this entire experience,” Hurley said. “At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut.
“We met as a team before today’s workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships.”
Hurley is 141-58 over six seasons with Connecticut and has an overall college head-coaching record of 292-163. He signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with the Huskies last year.
The Lakers had a coaching vacancy after firing Darvin Ham last month.
Ham went 90-74 over two seasons in which the Lakers reached the playoffs. But after battling into the Western Conference finals last year before losing to eventual NBA champion Denver, the Lakers were ousted in the first round this time by Denver.
There was some success for the Lakers this past season as they won the first edition of the NBA In-Season Tournament, now called the NBA Cup.
The Lakers last won the NBA Finals in 2020 and hope to rebuild with Anthony Davis and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, who turns 40 in December.