The Los Angeles Lakers have extended the contract of second-year head coach JJ Redick, president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said at a press conference on Thursday.
Redick signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Lakers in June 2024 that took him through the 2027-28 season. Terms of the new deal were not announced at the conference leading up to training camp.
“Confidence and belief,” Pelinka said on the reason for the extension. “We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence. We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.”
Redick, 41, made his head-coaching debut last season, leading the Lakers to a 50-32 record and the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Los Angeles lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first-round series.
“It’s not lost on me, this sort of rarity of a first-time head coach getting an extension,” Redick said. “I recognize how fortunate I am to be in an organization that supports me in that way.”
Before he was a broadcaster-turned-coach, Redick played 15 years in the NBA, including his final season in 2020-21 with the Dallas Mavericks. He was teammates with Luka Doncic, the superstar guard who was traded to the Lakers last season and signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the team last month.
Pelinka also addressed the status of the team’s other superstar, LeBron James, who in June picked up the $52.6 million option for the coming season, his eighth with the Lakers and 23rd overall.
“The first thing we want to do in terms of LeBron and his future is just give him absolute respect to choose his story with his family in terms of how many years he’s going to continue to play,” Pelinka said of James being in a contract year. “He’s earned that right.”
Pelinka deferred to James, who turns 41 in December, for his future plans. James is a four-time league champion, four-time NBA MVP, 21-time All-Star and the all-time scoring leader, among numerous accomplishments. The Lakers have a media day scheduled for Monday as they open training camp next week.
“We would love if LeBron’s story would be he retired a Laker,” Pelinka said when asked if the team would re-sign James next summer if he wants to continue playing. “That would be a positive story.”
–Field Level Media
