NBA Rumors: LeBron James, Lakers Had ‘No Conversation’ About JJ Redick, HC Process

Andrew PetersJune 20, 2024

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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James reportedly was uninvolved in the hiring process of new head coach JJ Redick, as the veteran had “no conversation” with the front office regarding the decision.

“There was no conversation between LeBron James and Jeanie Buss or Rob Pelinka or Kurt Rambis or anybody else when it comes to the Lakers’ decision-makers about JJ Redick as a candidate, about Dan Hurley as a candidate, about anybody else as a candidate,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said on SportsCenter on Thursday. “He stayed out of this process, he let the Lakers know through his representatives that the team and the organization has to do what they feel is right for them in this moment and going forward, because odds are, the person that they hire will be with the Lakers beyond LeBron James’ days as a player.”

McMenamin did note that James’ involvement with Redick off the court did act as his stamp of approval.

“Now that said, there was a tacit endorsement for JJ Redick because he decided to do the Mind the Game podcast with him,” McMenamin said.

The Lakers signed Redick, who played in the league for 15 years, to a four-year deal Thursday, giving him his first NBA coaching job in any capacity.

James and Redick started Mind the Game during the latter half of the 2023-24 season in which the two analyze different aspects of basketball through the lenses of a current and former player, respectively.

After Los Angeles fired Darvin Ham following the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit, Redick was quickly seen as a candidate to be its next head coach. In recent weeks, the Lakers targeted UConn coach Dan Hurley, but he rejected the team’s offer, setting the stage to hire Redick.

As McMenamin noted, the Lakers pursued a candidate they felt would be best for them even after James’ time in Los Angeles, which could be sooner rather than later.

James has a player option that could make him a free agent this offseason, giving him the opportunity to either test the market with another team or vie for a bigger contract in L.A. Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, James is eligible to sign a three-year, $162 million contract with the Lakers this offseason, which would give him the richest deal of his career.

The lofty potential contract along with Los Angeles hiring a coach he is seemingly fond of seem to indicate that James will remain with the Lakers, but there’s always the chance he heads somewhere else to pursue a championship.