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4 Lakers on Thin Ice After JJ Redick's Official Hiring

With J.J. Redick being hired as the next Lakers head coach, these four Los Angeles players have found themselves on the thinnest of ice.

By Devon Platana

Which Lakers will be on thin ice now that J.J. Redick has been hired?
Which Lakers will be on thin ice now that J.J. Redick has been hired? / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
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After weeks of speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers have finally found their new bench boss. Former NBA sharpshooter is being hired as the team's next head coach, replacing Darvin Ham after two underwhelming seasons.

As with most coaching changes, Redick's hiring could spell bad news for various members of the Lakers' roster. The 39-year-old is going to want to find success in his first-ever head coaching stint and will likely look to general manager Rob Pelinka to trim the fat if it means bringing a championship home to the City of Angels next spring.

Having said that, here are the four Lakers who are most likely on thin ice following Redick's hiring.

1. Gabe Vincent, PG/SG

Few Lakers were as disappointing to watch as Gabe Vincent this year.

Los Angeles inked the veteran guard to a three-year, $33 million contract last offseason, but Vincent was held to just 11 regular-season games due to injury. He struggled to make the most of the limited opportunities he saw, averaging just 3.1 points and 1.9 assists while shooting 30.6% from the floor and 10.7% from deep. For comparison, he tallied a 40.2 FG% and 33.4% 3P% in his final year with the Heat.

Vincent was healthy enough to join the join Lakers for their postseason run, but he couldn't shake his bad luck. In a season where Los Angeles needed him the most, the 28-year-old couldn't get anything going against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 1.4 points with a 25.0 FG% and 14.3 3P% while playing just under 14 games per night.

To understand just how poor his play was, the Lakers averaged a 61 offensive rating with Vincent on the floor this postseason.

With two years remaining on his contract, the Lakers will likely look to get rid of Vincent as soon as possible. A change in scenery might help him out after a disastrous year while Los Angeles can use his $11 million salary as a part of a trade to land a bigger player to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Either way, it'd be shocking if Vincent returned to the Lakers lineup next year.

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