3 Former JJ Redick Teammates the Lakers Should Add After Head Coach Hiring

Los Angeles Lakers fans woke up to some massive news on Tuesday morning.

Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin reported earlier in the week that the franchise was ready to announce J.J. Redick as the next head coach, ending a lengthy search that saw names like James Borrego and UConn's Dan Hurley in the mix.

Considering how he's never coached beyond elementary school basketball, all eyes are on Redick to see how he fares coaching the biggest NBA franchise of all time. The 39-year-old does have over 1,000 games of NBA experience between the regular season and playoffs as a player, leaving time to tell if that will play a role in his finding coaching success.

Although he isn't as experienced as other candidates, Redick's playing time could be beneficial in the end. He played with hundreds of players during his time in the Association and given that he only retired a few years ago, it wouldn't be shocking if he wanted to convince some of his ex-teammates to migrate to Los Angeles this offseason.

With that in mind, let's look at three former teammates who Redick should attempt to lure to the Lakers.

1. Dorian Finney-Smith, PF/SF

If the Lakers want to upgrade their forward depth, I could see them targeting Dorian Finney-Smith. NBA insider Shams Charania reported earlier this offseason that Los Angeles was targeting the 31-year-old ahead of the trade deadline, however, nothing came to fruition. Now that the offseason is here, trade talks could be revisited.

According to RealGM, Redick and Finney-Smith played 12 games together on the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 campaign.

With the Brooklyn Nets stuck in a rebuild, Finney-Smith could be the next veteran moved. The ex-Florida Gator is under contract for the 2024-25 campaign at $14.9 million with a $15.3 million player option for the following season, making him the perfect player (contract-wise) to help with the Lakers' championship window.

Finney-Smith might be a few years removed from his prime, but he's still a solid contributor. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.8 steals across 68 games (56 starts) with the Nets in 2023-24. While his 42.1% field goal and 34.8% three-point percentages weren't mind-boggling, they were drastic improvements compared to his first year in Brooklyn.

The Lakers will have to move a contract or two out to make things work, but that shouldn't be an issue. Gabe Vincent ($11 million), Rui Hachimura ($17 million), and Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.7 million) are all trade candidates, giving Los Angeles plenty of avenues to make salaries match.

Considering how he'd be an additional reliable rebounder while helping the Lakers stretch the floor, targeting Finney-Smith is a must this summer.