Lakers may have J.J. Redick's replacement already lined up

The Los Angeles Lakers made a bold move by hiring J.J. Redick as their head coach. The 15-year NBA veteran was one of the league’s best shooters, but has zero coaching experience. After retiring in 2021, Redick went into the media and was last seen broadcasting the NBA Finals for ESPN. The veteran player has a wealth of knowledge, but will he be a successful coach?

These things can go south quickly. Look no further than Milwaukee last season. They hired longtime assistant Adrian Griffin to be their head coach and fired him after just 43 games. The Bucks knew they had to move on and did not waste any time.

The Lakers believe in Redick but may have just hired his replacement if things go the way they did in Milwaukee. Los Angeles added two veteran head coaches to Redick’s staff on July 3, and either could step up if the situation arises.

The Lakers may have just hired J.J. Redick’s eventual replacement

Nate McMillan seems like the most likely option to step up. The 59-year-old has spent 19 years as an NBA head coach between four different franchises. He has made the playoffs ten times, including guiding the Hawks to the conference finals in 2021. McMillan stepped in for Lloyd Pierce during that 2021 campaign, and his 760 NBA coaching victories speak for themselves.

Scott Brooks is also joining Redick’s staff. He spent 12 years as a head coach split between Oklahoma City and Washington. Brooks led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012 and has won 521 NBA games. He spent the last three years as an assistant with the Trail Blazers but has plenty of head coaching knowledge.

The Lakers hope J.J. Redick can become the next Pat Riley. They envision him being their head coach for years to come, but history suggests it will be a short stay. Since Phil Jackson retired in 2011, LA has had seven different full-time head coaches and no one has lasted longer than three seasons, including Frank Vogel, who led them to the championship in 2020.

Things can go south quickly for the Lakers because they have massive expectations. They want to be in title contention every year but do not have the roster to make it a reality. The pressure will be on Redick to win immediately. If he doesn’t, he will quickly be on the hot seat.

The Los Angeles Lakers may have his replacement on their bench after signing Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks. The veteran head coaches will be key mentors for Redick and may take over when things go south. Only time will tell.