The Los Angeles Lakers are smart enough to know that they can’t just let up-and-coming coaching prospects join J.J. Redick’s coaching staff if he’s going to be learning on the job himself. They need experienced leaders working under him and that’s just what they’re getting.
According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are set to hire former NBA head coaches Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks as top assistants on Redick’s first coaching staff.
“ESPN Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are hiring Nate McMillan and Scott Brooks as top assistant coaches on JJ Redick’s new staff. Redick gets two longtime head coaches with a combined 1,189 victories to surround him,” Woj wrote on X.
Brooks has 12 years of NBA head coaching experience split between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Washington Wizards. He took the Wizards to the playoffs twice and the Thunder to the playoffs five times, including a trip to the NBA Finals back in 2012.
McMillan has another 19 years of head coaching experience with the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers and most recently the Atlanta Hawks. He led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and the Sonics to Western Conference Semifinals in 2005 but has struggled in the postseason besides those two years.
With a combed 31 years of coaching experience between them, Redick should have all of the guidance he needs to avoid basic mistakes in his first year on the job.
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