The LA Lakers have reportedly signed new head coach JJ Redick to a much cheaper deal than the one offered to UConn's Dan Hurley. Hurley was the Lakers' first choice, but he declined the offer and went back to coach in college. This urged the Los Angeles team to pursue Redick to become their newest head coach.
NBA insider Shams Charania broke down the details of Redick's deal with the Lakers.
"It's a four-year deal for JJ Redick to become the next head coach of the Lakers. I'm told it's around $8 million per year," Charania said.
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The total value of Redick's reported contract is around $32 million. The Lakers' offer to Hurley was over double that amount. They reportedly had a six-year, $70 million contract ready for the college coach. Although it's lengthier in terms of years, the UConn coach would have ended up with around $11 million annually.
This will be Redick's first time to be a head coach at any level, which is likely a big reason why his deal has come in much lower than Hurley's. Albeit inexperienced, many of the people around him have given him his flowers as a top basketball mind.
Patrick Beverley congratulates JJ Redick as the new Lakers head coach
It was already rumored that the Lakers named JJ Redick as one of the candidates for replacement following the firing of Ham. However, the front office steered in a different direction when they started to pursue Hurley.
Unfortunately, Hurley didn't see himself as the Lakers' head coach and declined the offer. This gave Redick another shot at being named the organization's top candidate. After it was confirmed that the team decided to hire him, other players were delighted about the front office's direction.
One of the people who expressed their joy was Patrick Beverley. He posted on social media, congratulating the former Duke star.
"JJ really just opened the door 🚪 congrats 🎉 🍾 gang," Pat Bev posted.
Beverley and Redick had a back-and-forth in their opinions about former LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. The sharpshooter criticized Rivers for allegedly not taking the blame, while the two-way guard defended his former head coach.
Pat Bev shared that the NBA player-turned-podcaster had his best years under Rivers. However, Redick disagreed and stated that he played his best years with the Philadelphia 76ers under Brett Brown.
Also read: Who is Lakers' new head coach JJ Redick? Closer look at former NBA star's career & more
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