The Los Angeles Lakers got their man on Thursday as the team announced they had hired former NBA shooting guard and current analyst JJ Redick after the Dan Hurley fiasco.
The Lakers' successful search happened during a time when Carmelo Anthony shared a NSFW story about Redick and his new pupil, NBA all-time-leading scorer LeBron James.
The Redick hire has caused a seismic shift on the NBA landscape, and now everyone from Trae Young to Stephen A. Smith is weighing in. On Thursday, Young offered an inconspicuous one-word emoji post on X that has Lakers and NBA fans dreaming about the possibilities.
Young's post draws strong reactions
Young's post was short but spoke volumes as fans reacted to it on X.
Young simply added an hourglass emoji without saying anything further, which has led many fans to speculate that he may be growing frustrated with his current team the Atlanta Hawks and could demand a trade, perhaps to a team like the Lakers.
Redick is one of the NBA's all-time leading 3-point shooters, currently ranking 20th all-time on the NBA charts, and would provide an excellent mentor for Young as he enters the prime of his career.
“PICK UP THE PHONE JJ REDICK IS CALLING TRAE,” one fan said on X.
“Can't wait til you donning that Lakers uniform in a few short weeks,” another fan added, seeming to put the cart before the horse, prior to Young explaining what his post actually meant.
The timing of the post suggests that it was in response to the Redick hiring, although speculation is running rampant on whether Young would demand a trade or not at this stage of his career.
Young's possible fit with Lakers
Young did not make the NBA All-Star team last season, an uncharacteristic development for the former Oklahoma Sooner and NBA superstar.
The 6-foot-1, 164-pound guard would change the entire makeup of the Lakers if he were to be added this offseason. The Lakers previously built their team with designs of knocking off the former world champion Denver Nuggets, and now they have the Dallas Mavericks and fast-rising Minnesota Timberwolves to contend with as well as the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
The Celtics present different challenges, including better backcourt and forwards talent, which would explain why the Lakers appear to be trending in a different direction. Redick's ability to teach the perimeter game and get players open shots as a coach is still unproven, but it figures to be a strength of his once he learns the ropes of the NBA game.
Young could feast in Redick's system alongside LeBron James, but whether or not he ends up changing addresses this offseason is still anyone's guess — except in the social media world, of course.
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