Lakers Sign JJ Redick to Two-Year $45M Extension
On Thursday, Lakers’ GM and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka joined Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick for a press conference leading into their upcoming training camp. Most people anticipated most of the discussions to be based around new FA signings or Luka’s summer activities.
Pelinka presented Lakers fans with a much larger headline.
It was announced during the press conference that JJ Redick would be receiving a two-year, $45 million contract extension. This comes off Redick’s inaugural season coaching LA, where he went 50-32 and lost in the first round to Minnesota.
Lakers HC JJ Redick has signed an extension with after one year with the franchise, GM Rob Pelinka announced Thursday. pic.twitter.com/BKqwkosXVM
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 25, 2025
Overall, the reviews among Lakers faithful were mixed. Some were happy with JJ Redick’s performance last year and were pleased to see the move. Others were skeptical, given his lack of long-term experience.
As with most things in life, this is a nuanced conversation. There is good and there is bad. Let’s break down both.
Lakers Secure JJ Redick Long-Term
Throughout my lifetime, the Lakers have had only one long-term head coach: Phil Jackson. Since Jackson left in 2011, the Lakers have had seven head coaches in total. The longest-tenured coaches were Luke Walton and Frank Vogel, both with three seasons under their belts.
At the end of the day, regardless of how you feel about JJ Redick, you can’t argue that stability in that position isn’t key.
When you pair that with the fact that the Lakers just hitched their wagon to a 26-year-old superstar, that stability becomes even more paramount. With Luka Doncic signing a 3-year $165 million max extension this summer, the two’s timelines become much more synchronized.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA star Luka Doncic has signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with the franchise, with a player option in 2028, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/oRxAVIm2oD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2025
If Redick can build on his initial successes in his first season, the Lakers have two solid pillars for several years.
Postseason Finish Clouding First Year Success
In the NBA and professional sports, it is very much a ‘what have you done for me lately’ environment. Pair that with a historic team like the Lakers, where championships are the standard, and the expectations go through the roof.
It’s easy to point to the most recent memory of Redick and the Lakers, who were bullied for five games by the Minnesota Timberwolves. That is not the whole story, however.
Before that abrupt ending, JJ Redick led the Lakers to a 50-32 record and the third seed in the West. His achievements surpassed just numbers, though.
It takes a special kind of coach not only to coach a LeBron-led team, but also to match his basketball IQ. Not only that, but Redick kept the ship steady through one of the most drastic trades in NBA history.
Granted, they picked up a generational superstar, but Redick was not only able to stabilize the team but also leap from the fifth to the third seed in the standings. That alone may be worth keeping him around long-term.
Is One Season Enough?
To this point in the article, realistically, only the positive aspects have been highlighted. To pessimists’ credit, there is reason to be skeptical of the decision to extend Redick.
When the Lakers initially signed Redick, it was for a 4-year $32 million deal. In and of itself, that is a fair contract to give a first-year head coach. The question is, was his performance deserving of an extension after just one season?
While you can point to the record and seeding, as previously mentioned, in LA, championships are the standard. Redick simply didn’t deliver that. It may be unfair to judge a coach based on one season, but in the playoffs, he very much looked like a rookie in comparison to the veteran Chris Finch.
The way the season ended, nobody’s first thought was, “We must extend JJ.”
With the length of his initial contract plus the extension, it likely won’t be clear whether this was the right move or not for two to three seasons. The clear silver lining in this, however, is that Luka Doncic loves Redick, and if there’s one thing all Lakers fans should rejoice over, it’s a joyful Luka Doncic.
