Luka Dončić ‘Excited’ Los Angeles Lakers Gave JJ Redick Extension
Luka Dončić wasn’t the only member of the Los Angeles Lakers who got an extension this offseason, as head coach JJ Redick received one as well.
Dončić, who played with Redick on the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 season, told Dave McMenamin of ESPN he’s “excited” about Redick getting an extension from the Lakers.
“I like about everything,” Luka Dončić said about JJ Redick. “The way he communicates with us, with me, with the whole team. The way he studies the game plan, the way he approaches the game. So there’s so many things good about him. I’m very excited he got extension so I can be on his team.”
The Lakers went 50-32 last season. They were the third seed in the Western Conference but lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs in five games.
Redick, who used to be podcast partners with LeBron James, didn’t reveal his starting lineup during media day, but sources told DallasHoopsJournal that the Lakers are expected to start Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, James and Deandre Ayton.
The Lakers lost Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets on the first day of free agency. They rebounded by signing Jake LaRavia, Ayton and Marcus Smart. Dončić recruited Ayton and Smart, while Reaves recruited LaRavia.
Dončić, who lost weight this summer, appeared in 28 games with the Lakers last season after the Mavericks traded him in February. The talented point-forward averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks with the purple and gold.
One of the best basketball players in the world, Dončić enters the 2025-26 season third in NBA history in points per game. He has career averages of 28.2 points with the Mavericks and Lakers.
Los Angeles won the 2020 championship against the Miami Heat in six games at the Walt Disney World bubble. The franchise also made the Western Conference Finals in 2023, losing to the Denver Nuggets in four games.
It will be fascinating to see if Dončić, Redick and James can win a title together. James, 40, has one year left on his contract with the Lakers.
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