The Los Angeles Lakers have spent the duration of the offseason figuring out who will be leading the franchise into the 2024-25 season. That included an extensive coaching search that ultimately landed on JJ Redick and a slow but steady reveal of assistants who will support the first-year head coach.
After more than a month of speculation as to who would be working alongside Redick in 2024-25, the Lakers have finally revealed the full coaching staff.
Redick enters his first season as a head coach with layers of intrigue. His playing experience and time as an analyst have many intrigued by what he could accomplish in the NBA, but his inexperience in a coaching role continues to be a talking point around the Association.
According to the official Lakers account on X, the coaching staff will consist of Redick in the lead role, Bob Beyer, Scott Brooks, Lindsey Harding, Beau Levesque, Nate McMillan, and Greg St. Jean as assistant coaches, and Michael Wexler as the head video coordinator.
OFFICIAL: Coaching staff is set. pic.twitter.com/N3PsVK2z6c
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 5, 2024
Per NBA.com, Redick spoke openly about putting this diverse and experienced staff together with the shared goal of a daily commitment to excellence.
"Through an intentional and thorough process, we've brought together an experienced, diverse and dedicated coaching staff,” Redick said. “Our goal from day one is about fostering a high-performing environment of player development and team alignment through relentless work, daily collaboration and innovation. Players and staff are here to enjoy the pursuit of excellence every time they step on the court. The expectations are clear, and my staff and I are committed to doing everything we need to do to ensure success at the highest level."
It's a highly-anticipated reveal from a franchise that's starting from scratch in the coaching department after two seasons with Darvin Ham at the helm.
JJ Redick staff includes Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks, Lindsey Harding
The biggest names hired to Redick's staff are Brooks and McMillan, who both have extensive experience as head coaches. Brooks boasts an NBA Finals appearance, 521 regular season wins, and 49 playoff victories between his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards.
McMillan, meanwhile, has 18 years of experience as a head coach. He led the Atlanta Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals and has 760 regular season victories—a top-20 mark in NBA history.
Brooks and McMillan will play essential roles in helping Redick navigate his first season as a head coach. Their experience should help fill in some of the gaps as the Lakers' first-year sideline general aspires to overcome the trials and tribulations of his new job.
The theme of valuing experience continues with Beyer, who has spent 17 seasons as an NBA assistant coach and has 41 years of experience overall.
Harding is one of the most intriguing additions to the staff as a player development specialist who should play a direct role in the Lakers' youth movement. She's the reigning G League Coach of the Year, knows Redick from their time at Duke, and even coached him with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Levesque and St. Jean hirings speak further to the importance being placed on player development under the Redick regime.
It's still too soon to know what this coaching staff is capable of, but it's an encouraging look at how Redick is supporting himself and his players. Rather than allowing his ego to cast help aside, he's acknowledging the potential flaws of both himself as a coach and the Lakers as a team.
That speaks to the culture of accountability that Redick is hoping to create in Los Angeles, as it must start, first and foremost, with the coaches themselves.