New Head Coach JJ Redick Reveals Surprise Player He Can’t Wait To Coach On The Lakers And It’s Not LeBron James Or Anthony Davis

JJ Redick (Image Credits: Getty Images)
In a recent interview, the new Los Angeles Lakers head coach, JJ Redick, revealed his favorite player to monitor in the upcoming season. Despite fan speculation about Anthony Davis and star player LeBron James, Redick chose shooting guard Austin Reaves and mentioned that he could not wait to coach him.

“Oh, he’s excellent, And I cannot wait to coach Austin. And one of the reasons I cannot wait to coach Austin is because of his competitive spirit. He has a real mental toughness and competitive approach every single night.” Redick said during a recent interview with the Lakers.

Redick Is Pumped Up to Coach Reaves in the Upcoming Season

After getting eliminated in the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023-24 season, the Lakers promptly fired Darvin Ham and began looking for a new head coach. Rumors began circulating about potential candidates, with Redick and Dan Hurley emerging as frontrunners. However, Hurley ultimately decided to stay with his UConn contract. On Monday, the Lakers dispelled all rumors and officially announced Redick as the new head coach. Redick expressed his excitement for coaching and specifically mentioned his excitement to coach Reaves in an interview. However, during a press conference following the announcement, the 40-year-old new head coach faced some tough questions.

There have been recent rumors about the Los Angeles Lakers trading Reaves for Dejounte Murray, but these rumors have been dispelled by an NBA insider who stated that the Lakers are not interested in trading Austin Reaves. Another NBA insider provided insight into the Lakers’ decision not to trade Reaves. Jovan Buha of The Athletic mentioned, “The Lakers, by all indications, are not trying to trade Austin Reaves unless it is for an All-Star-level player.” He also stated that the Lakers are not looking to trade their young talent for Murray, saying, “Even then, it seems like it’s a legitimate All-Star, not just a fringe All-Star type. They did not want to include him in a potential trade for Dejounte Murray at the deadline.”