The Lakers are on the verge of hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach. Here are five players he has played with who would be a good fit for Los Angeles.

 

The Los Angeles Lakers are about to finalize the hiring of their next head coach. All signs point to JJ Redick being the appointee as it has been expected for the past couple of weeks.

Whether that is the right decision or not aside, one thing Redick brings to the table is a relationship with current players in the NBA. Only retiring three seasons ago after a 15-year NBA career, Redick has played with plenty of high-level players. This could be a big advantage for the Lakers as the former Duke star can lure some of his former teammates to Los Angeles. Here are five likely names who could join Redick this offseason.

Chris Paul

Redick and Paul played together for the Clippers for three seasons and it was some of the best seasons of Redick’s career. They were never quite able to get over the hump and advance past the second round but it was in Los Angeles that Redick established himself as a starting-caliber shooting guard in the league.

CP3 and Redick had an excellent backcourt partnership on the Clippers. Redick, an excellent shooter coming off screens, got a ton of scoring opportunities thanks to Paul’s playmaking.

Now, Paul is in a different stage of his career. He has one more non-guaranteed year left on his contract with the Golden State Warriors. It’s highly unlikely that the Warriors will guarantee his $30 million salary for next season. This means that he may be cut, making him a free agent who could then sign with the Lakers for a veteran minimum deal.

The 39-year-old is not the player he was a few years ago but he could still be a valuable contributor off the bench for a contender.

TJ McConnell

Another point guard that Redick has an excellent relationship with is TJ McConnell of the Indiana Pacers. The two played together in Philadelphia between 2017 and 2019 and developed a strong friendship.

McConnell is still under contract for another season and he is due $9.3 million for the 2024-25 campaign. After having a strong season with the Pacers, he may not be available via trade but there is a chance they will want to sell high on the 32-year-old.

The former undrafted point guard out of Arizona just had the best postseason of his career, averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 assists in 20.5 minutes per game off the bench.

Indiana already has Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard as their starting backcourt. Nembhard can also play backup point guard, making McConnell superfluous. Add the fact that the Pacers will have to give McConnell a contract extension next season, they might just explore what they can get for him now instead.

McConnell is not the shooter D’Angelo Russell is but he would be a cheaper replacement. He can run an offense and carry some of the playmaking burden of LeBron James and Austin Reaves, especially in the regular season. If the Lakers can get him for less than a first-round pick, they should seriously consider it.

Dorian Finney-Smith

Most NBA fans don’t remember it but Redick ended his playing career with the Dallas Mavericks.

After being traded there in the middle of the 2020-21 season, Redick had the final stretch of his career in Dallas, playing next to Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

At that stage of his career, Redick wasn’t able to contribute to the Mavericks. He only appeared in 13 games for them before retiring but he was able to play with some solid players.

One of those players is two-way forward Dorian Finney-Smith. The combo forward spent seven seasons in Dallas before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the 2022-23 season as part of the Kyrie Irving trade.

The 31-year-old is not the defensive force he was when he was with the Mavericks but he is still a valuable wing who would be a good fit in Los Angeles.

Finney-Smith is still under contract in Brooklyn for another season, paying him $14.9 million for the 2024-25 campaign. However, the Nets aren’t going anywhere and would be willing to part ways with him for the right offer.

The Lakers should ask about Finney-Smith’s availability in a trade. There simply aren’t too many 6’8 forwards who can defend and shoot, especially not on this Lakers roster.

Naji Marshall

Talking about forwards who can shoot and defend, one option the Lakers can consider in free agency this summer is Naji Marshall.

Marshall spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans. In his rookie season, he was a teammate of JJ Redick.

Now that his rookie contract is up, Marshall is hitting free agency and he is one of the most underrated players on the market.

Because he was an undrafted free agent out of Xavier and he has been a bench player in New Orleans his entire career, Marshall has largely gone under the radar.

However, he is a 26-year-old wing who can guard multiple positions and do a little bit of everything on the floor. He shot 38.7% from three last season, he can drive to the basket, make plays for his teammates, and bring defensive intensity.

The Pelicans have too much depth on their roster. Therefore, Marshall was only able to play 19 minutes per game last season.

However, the Lakers desperately need his skill set as they are light on the wings. He could even have a chance to start in Los Angeles depending on what happens with Rui Hachimura this season.

Marshall and Redick didn’t play together for too long in New Orleans but if their paths were to cross again in Los Angeles, it would be beneficial for both sides.

Brandon Ingram

Perhaps a more intriguing member of the Pelicans who could join the Lakers is Brandon Ingram. A former teammate of JJ Redick in New Orleans like Naji Marshall, Ingram is rumored to be available on the trade market this summer.

Ingram is entering the final season of his contract. The Pelicans, who haven’t been able to find the success they were hoping for with the CJ McCollum-Ingram-Zion Williamson trio, would presumably be unwilling to give him a massive contract extension that ties their books for the future.

Instead, it would be a smart strategy for them to get whatever they can from their All-Star forward now.

At age 26, Ingram has long years of his prime ahead of him. He just played 64 games last season and averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. He has the skill set to carry the offensive load for the Lakers and help LeBron James and Anthony Davis conserve their energy for the postseason.

The Lakers would have to give up multiple first-round picks to acquire Ingram. They will also need to match Ingram’s $36 million salary by using a combination of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Austin Reaves, and Jarred Vanderbilt’s contracts.

Ingram had started his NBA career with the Lakers when he was the second-overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. His first stint in Los Angeles didn’t work out too well until he was traded to the Pelicans in the Anthony Davis deal. This would give him an excellent chance to redeem himself under his former teammate JJ Redick.