J.J. Redick’s Vision Could Transform Lakers Draft, Free Agency, & Trades

Whom the Los Angeles Lakers draft, pursue in free agency, and trade for this summer will give us revealing first glimpses into the vision new head coach J.J. Redick has for the 2024–25 version of the purple and gold.

The Lakers finished last season 7th in the West with a 47–35 record. Their 115.4 offensive rating was 15th in the league and their 114.8 defensive rating 17th. Combined, the Lakers +0.6 net rating was 19th in the league. While the initial perception was the Lakers’ greatest need was to improve their defense, the reality is they need to improve both their offense and defense to top-ten status to be a legitimate championship contender.

Heading into the offseason, the Lakers need to upgrade both their starting lineup and rotation. They simply have too many one-way players who only excel on offense or defense and need to be replaced by two-way players.
The Lakers need to emulate what the Celtics and other top NBA teams are doing and build out a roster capable of rolling out lineups with five players who can shoot the three on offense and switch everything on defense.

Offensively, the Lakers simply need to take and make more threes. Last season, they made 11.8 threes per game (28th in the NBA) on 31.8 attempts per game (24th in the NBA) despite shooting 37.7% (8th in the NBA).
The Celtics and Mavs led the league with 42.5 and 39.5 3PA per game and 16.5 and 14.6 3PM per game. Playing those teams, the Lakers would face a negative 3-point differential of 14.1 ppg vs. Boston and 8.4 ppg vs. Dallas.

Defensively, the Lakers need an elite point-of-attack defensive guard to slow down opposing point guards, a legitimate bigger 3&D wing to guard opposing scoring wings, and a backup center who can protect the rim.
The Lakers also need a bigger bulkier defensive center who can bang with larger more physical centers like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, or Joel Embiid, who can overpower and bully starting center Anthony Davis.

Since the new CBA makes it hard to build championship rosters if paying maximum salaries to three superstars, the Lakers would be smart to use their draft capital to fill their specific needs rather than chasing third star.
Starting next Wednesday, the Lakers trading chips will include three first round picks and three first round pick swaps plus five second round picks. They should use that draft capital to upgrade their starters and rotation.

Financially, the Lakers will likely have to go over the first luxury tax apron to cover raises to players under contract and upgrades to the starting lineup and rotation but must stay under the harsh second luxury tax apron.
That will mean the Lakers will be once again be a luxury tax repeater who will essentially be hard capped by the NBA’s new second luxury tax apron of $190 million to avoid its anti-competitive penalties and disadvantages.

Let’s take a closer look at whom the Los Angeles Lakers with J.J. Redick as their new head coach might target to upgrade their starting lineup and roster via the upcoming NBA Draft, free agency, and trade season.

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1. Lakers Draft Targets

The Lakers would be smart to keep rather than trade the #17 pick in the draft because its potential player value is greater than its trade value and it boasts multiple modern two-way bigs who would be great back up centers.

While several NBA teams want to trade their first round picks in this draft, there will be a half dozen quality big men prospects available between the 16th and 30th picks, which makes this draft a great opportunity for L.A.
The Lakers desperately need a backup center when Anthony Davis is on the bench and there are three or four bigs in this draft who could immediately play as backup centers and eventually alongside AD in a two-bigs lineup.

The big questions hiring JJ Redick as head coach raises is what he plans to do with Anthony Davis. We know JJ wants to be a volume 3-point shooting team and would like a modern offense with five guys who shoot the three. Redick will likely have Davis as well as everybody on the team take more threes but will also see this draft as an opportunity to fill the backup center vacancy and also find a modern stretch five who could play alongside AD.

Four potential modern two-way bigs who have been linked to the Lakers in various NBA draft news and mock drafts include Dayton’s DaRon Holmes, Indiana’s Kel’el Ware, Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, and Purdue’s Zach Edey. Holmes, Ware, and Filipowski have all been linked to the Lakers because they shoot the three. Edey is the exception as he has only taken two threes during his career at Purdue but did show 3-point range at the combine.

DaRon Holmes may be the best option as he can stretch the floor, protect the rim, and defend in space. His best NBA comparison is Naz Reid. Zack Edey, whose potential best NBA comp is Brook Lopez, is also very possible. Kel’el Ware, whose best NBA comp is Myles Turner, would also be a great selection as would Kyle Filipowski, whose best NBA comp is Kelly Olynyk. Unless a coveted wing drops, the Lakers and JJ will draft a stretch five.

For a more detailed review of each of these four candidates and how they would fit in a modern Los Angeles Lakers offense and defense, please read 4 Modern Two-Way Centers Lakers Could Select With #17 Pick In Draft.

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2. Lakers Trade Targets

The Lakers would be smart to use their draft capital to trade for legitimate two-way players in their mid-twenties who earn mid-twenty millions per year, and can become bigger stars in bigger roles than a third superstar.

Recent early reports have the los Angeles Lakers reopening talks with the Atlanta Hawks regarding a possible mega trade for guard Dejounte Murray, whom the teams previously discussed before last season’s trade deadline.
The big reason the Lakers didn’t pull the trigger for Dejounte Murray at the trade deadline wa they were not willing to include Austin Reaves in the deal. Based on recent reports, Reaves may no longer be untouchable.

The Lakers would be wise to leverage the Hawks’ desire to acquire Austin Reaves by expanding the trade to include Bogdan Bogdanovic, who’s exactly the kind of two-way modern high volume 3-point shooting guard they need.
An offer of Hachimura, Reaves, Vincent and an unprotected 2029 first round pick and an unprotected 2030 first round pick swap for Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic should be an offer Atlanta accepts.

Should the Laker be able to trade for Murray and Bogdanovic, they would then have the the elite modern 3&D backcourt they need to become a top-five volume 3-point shooting team that no longer loses the 3-point battle.
Look for the Lakers and JJ to have Murray, Bogdanovic, and James all take 8 to 10 threes per game in an effort to raise the number of threes L.A. takes from last year’s 31.8 per game to over 40 per game for next season.

For a more detailed review of each of these four candidates and how they would fit in a modern Los Angeles Lakers offense and defense, please read 4 ‘Affordable’ Stars Who Could Be Superstars On Los Angeles Lakers.

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3. Lakers Free Agent Targets

While the Lakers need to upgrade their starting lineup and roster, they also should prioritize developing talented young players with two-way potential who showed progress last season and might grow more under JJ Redick.

Focusing on player development due to the restrictions in the new CBA, there are four players about whom the Lakers have major decisions to make as to whether to keep and develop or whether to move on from.
Those four players are D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, Max Christie, and Jaxson Hayes. Russell and Hayes have player options that many believe they will exercise. Prince is an UFA while Christie is a RFA this summer.

Deciding what to do with D’Angelo Russell is the Lakers first priority. D’Angelo has until June 29 to decide whether to accept his player option. The last thing the Lakers should want is to lose DLO to free agency.
Lakers should offer DLO a new 2-year deal with player option for $20 million per year either in the form of a new Lakers contract or a sign-and-trade deal with another team like the Orlando Magic who needs shooters.

The Lakers should re-sign Taurean Prince to a new contract for around $5 million per year. He’s not a starter but proved to be a valuable two-way wing who was essentially misused by Darvin Ham. He’s just not a starter.
Hayes will likely decline his player option and seek a raise in free agency. Christie is a player whom the Lakers will need to re-sign since he is a restricted free agent. Max should thrive under new head coach JJ Redick.

The Lakers need to figure out how to optimize Russell, Prince, Christie, and Hayes should them end up being part of next season’s roster. They need to keep Russell, Prince, and Christie to maintain their depth and diversity.