Patrick Beverley and NBA world react to Lakers reported hiring of JJ Redick for head coach role - "Really just opened the door"

Former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick agreed to a four-year deal with the LA Lakers to become their next head coach on Thursday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The hiring elicited mixed reactions from the NBA world, ranging from congratulatory messages to mockery.

Despite not having any NBA coaching experience, Redick was viewed as one of the favorites to land the position for most of the past six weeks. According to Wojnarowski, he "moved into the forefront of the search a week ago after the Lakers' pursuit of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley was ultimately rebuffed."

LA offered Hurley, a back-to-back NCAA champion, a six-year, $70 million contract, which he declined on June 10, opting to remain at UConn. It appears Redick was the organization's top fallback option, albeit for fewer years and less money. Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the first-time coach's new contract "is in the neighborhood of $8 million per season."

Nevertheless, most would probably agree that Redick landing a head coaching gig with one of the league's premier franchises marks a monumental achievement. Following Thursday's report, several past and present NBA players took to X/Twitter to congratulate him.

"Congratulations, JJ Redick," one-time NBA champion Kendrick Perkins said.

"Shout out to JJ Redick," ex-10-year wing Evan Turner said.

Milwaukee Bucks veteran guard Patrick Beverley also touched on the potential impact of a former player landing such a prestigious coaching role without experience.

"JJ really just opened the door. Congrats, gang," Beverley said.

Meanwhile, three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford and New York Knicks wing Josh Hart weighed in via a series of eye emojis.

Lakers legend Magic Johnson also expressed optimism about Redick's hiring, citing his successful playing career and renowned basketball knowledge.

"I’m cautiously optimistic that this new hire will be a success for both the Lakers and JJ Redick. I enjoyed watching him as a player—great 3-point shooting, high basketball IQ, passion for the game, and mental and physical toughness," Johnson said.

However, Hall of Fame coach George Karl, a prominent Lakers naysayer, took a shot at LA's front office for gambling on a first-time coach.

"It’s going to be really damn hard for me to not troll the Lakers next season," Karl said.

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Lakers reportedly view JJ Redick as high-upside coaching hire

Reactions may have been mixed to LA hiring an inexperienced coach to shepherd its veteran-laden squad headlined by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, the Lakers were reportedly intrigued by JJ Redick's upside.

Jovan Buha noted that the franchise was "high on Redick’s potential and viewed the 15-year NBA veteran as a Pat Riley-like coaching prospect." Riley won five championships as a head coach with the LA Lakers (1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988) and Miami Heat (2006).

In doing so, he cemented his place in history, getting recognized as one of the NBA's 15 greatest coaches during its 75th anniversary season in 2022. So, if Redick comes anywhere close to matching Riley's accomplishments, his hiring will likely be considered a massive success.

Adrian Wojnarowski added that the Lakers "became sold on Redick's ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ." However, how fast Redick can get LA's veteran core to buy into his new system remains to be seen.

The Lakers are coming off a seventh-place (47-35) Western Conference finish and a 4-1 Round 1 postseason series defeat against the Denver Nuggets. So, Redick will look to guide the storied franchise back to championship contention and win its first title since 2020.

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