The Los Angeles Lakers were under pressure after striking out on UConn boss Dan Hurley. The team finally landed on former sharpshooter JJ Redick, but not before checking in with its star player first.
The Lakers made sure Davis was fully on board before officially hiring Redick, via The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Jovan Buha.
“The Lakers’ brass regrouped on June 11, the day after Hurley’s announcement, and finally went all in on their top choice in Redick, according to team and league sources,” the reporters wrote. “After meeting with the Lakers on June 15, Redick spoke on the phone with Davis on Monday, a critical relationship in the years to come, sources briefed on the situation said.”
With LeBron James approaching 40 years old, it's no surprise that the 31-year-old Davis is the franchise's priority in terms of long-term decision-making. However, Redick's Mind of the Game podcast with James suggests that the elder statesman influenced the situation.
“The decision to choose Redick came as the Lakers, led by Pelinka, prioritized Davis’ voice in the process and ensured that he understood the shared vision,” the reporters continued. “There were other key players who were supportive of the hiring, those sources said.”
How long before Davis loses interest in the Redick-coached Lakers?
Davis will probably wait until LeBron is done before leaving the Lakers
While Davis may be on board for now, there's no guarantee that he'll be patient with the first-time coach. Kendrick Perkins sounded off on Davis possibly asking out if things don't go well out the gate, via ESPN's show NBA Today.
“I wanna see how it goes with Anthony Davis because I'ma give it 'till the All-Star break,” Perkins said.”If JJ Redick is not thriving and Anthony Davis is not playing at an elite level and he's not happy, I wouldn't be surprised if he wants out of LA… I'm gonna give it till the All-Star break to see how this goes.”
It's hard to project how Davis will respond to Redick long-term, as it isn't common for a TV analyst to suddenly coach the NBA's most iconic franchise, despite having no experience. The nine-time All-Star isn't getting any younger, and Los Angeles' current roster isn't anywhere near championship-caliber.
However, it's unlikely that Davis asks out during this next season. Any coach needs more than a few months to fully establish their vision, and it would be difficult for “AD” to force his way to a better team before the deadline. Even if that did happen, that team would have to give up significant assets to get him, which would be counter-intuitive to his quest for his second ring.
Nevertheless, this storyline will be one of the most fascinating ones to watch across the league as Redick introduces himself to Laker Nation.
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