Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson gave his seal of approval on the team’s decision to hire JJ Redick as head coach on Thursday
In a post on X, Johnson expressed his “cautiously optimistic” feelings about the move, praising Redick’s 15-year NBA career.
The Hall of Fame point guard also admitted that hiring Redick was “just the first step” for the Lakers, and that general manager Rob Pelinka needed to “improve the roster” before Los Angeles could compete with other Western Conference teams.
Johnson is fully aware of the duties that come with making decisions for the Lakers, having previously served as the team’s president of basketball operations from 2016 to 2019.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles signed Redick to a four-year contract. Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss spoke with Redick “over the weekend” before offering him the position on Thursday morning.
According to Wojnarowski, Pelinka hired Redick based on his “ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ.” This might benefit the Lakers during the free agency process, as they attempt to rebound from a devastating first-round playoff defeat in 2024.
Los Angeles also has several internal free agents to monitor, most notably LeBron James. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has a $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season and has yet to make a decision on it (via Spotrac)
While Johnson is hopeful about the addition of Redick, he’s also focused on the roster moves that the Lakers will make during the offseason as they attempt to rise towards the top of the West standings once again.
