The Lakers are having a tough time in June.
After Dan Hurley publicly turned them down, they had to watch the Celtics surpass them for the most NBA championships ever. Now, JJ Redick, their top coaching candidate, might choose another team.
According to Vincent Goodwill from Yahoo Sports, Redick is a strong contender for the Pistons’ head-coaching job after Monty Williams was fired on Wednesday. Goodwill mentioned that Redick’s close ties with Pistons’ front-office head Trajan Langdon could help him get the job.
“Redick is currently a prime candidate for the Lakers job, so it isn’t known how much traction Detroit could actually gain,” Goodwill wrote. “Redick and Langdon have the Duke connection, and they were in New Orleans when Redick signed there as a free agent before the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.”
Possible Move to Pistons:
For real though, taking the Pistons job makes more sense for Redick since he has no head-coaching experience at any level. The Pistons had one of the youngest teams last season and could use someone like Redick who brings fresh ideas.
Last month, Channing Frye told his friend Redick to avoid what he called a “death sentence” by not taking the Lakers job because of all the pressure that comes with coaching LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Instead, Frye suggested that Redick should coach younger players and grow with them.
Fans might think this move is better for both sides as it allows growth without immense pressure.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there’s no rush for the Pistons to replace Williams before next week’s NBA Draft. On the other hand, everyone expects the Lakers to name Darvin Ham’s replacement soon before free agency starts on June 30th.
What do you think about these coaching changes?
