Lakers leave future up to LeBron, extend Redick

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- While LeBron James enters his eighth play with the Los Angeles Lakers successful a declaration year, manager JJ Redick's aboriginal with the squad is overmuch much wide aft being signed to an extension.

The deficiency of a semipermanent pact betwixt the Lakers and the 40-year-old James, who picked up the $52.6 cardinal enactment for the 2025-26 play successful June, has fueled speculation astir the superstar's aboriginal arsenic the squad opens grooming campy adjacent week.

President of hoops operations and wide manager Rob Pelinka insisted Thursday that the Lakers anticipation to stay successful the LeBron concern truthful agelong arsenic the four-time champion wants to beryllium with them.

"The archetypal happening we privation to bash successful presumption of LeBron and his aboriginal is conscionable springiness him implicit respect to take his communicative with his household successful presumption of however galore years he's going to proceed to play," Pelinka said astatine his season-opening quality conference. "He's earned that right."

Pelinka said the Lakers built a "really competitive, beardown team" for some James and Luka Doncic to triumph with.

The GM said helium would defer to James, who is entering a record-setting 23rd season, connected questions astir however overmuch longer helium intends to play earlier retiring. The team's media time is Monday.

Pelinka was past asked if the Lakers would beryllium funny successful re-signing James successful the summertime of 2026, if helium decides astatine that constituent helium wants to widen his career.

"We would emotion if LeBron's communicative would beryllium helium retired a Laker," Pelinka said, echoing a sentiment helium has shared before. "That would beryllium a affirmative story."

While James' aboriginal remains successful flux, Pelinka announced the team's committedness to Redick, their second-year manager who signed a four-year woody successful June 2024. While presumption of the caller woody were not announced, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that it is simply a multiyear extension.

"Just to marque it wide that he's the hoops person successful presumption of our coaching and on-court performance," Pelinka said of the information to widen Redick aft helium won 50 games and secured the No. 3 effect successful the Western Conference successful his rookie play arsenic coach.

Pelinka said the determination came down to "confidence and belief" successful the erstwhile 15-year NBA veteran, who joined the Lakers having zero anterior head-coaching experience.

"We deliberation he's a peculiar manager with a peculiar dependable that's truly helping america specify the civilization of Lakers excellence," Pelinka said. "We conscionable wanted to marque a wide connection that this is what we judge in, what we're going to thin into and what our players are going to mold into arsenic we proceed to make the identity. I deliberation having semipermanent readying is adjuvant arsenic we physique this squad and spell forward."

Redick expressed gratitude towards Pelinka, Lakers acting politician Jeanie Buss and caller Lakers proprietor Mark Walter for the opportunity.

"It's not mislaid connected me, this benignant of rarity of a first-time caput manager getting an extension," Redick said Thursday. "I admit however fortunate I americium to beryllium successful an enactment that supports maine successful that way."

Redick spoke astir his quality to link with James and Doncic during the summertime and expressed assurance successful some of them coming into the season.

"[James is] successful a large spot mentally and cognize he's going to springiness america his implicit best," Redick said. "... I expect the champion mentation of Luka, and it's my occupation arsenic a manager to bring that retired connected a regular basis."

Redick offered little clarity connected the pieces that volition situation the prima tandem, with nary announcement astir the remainder of his starters similar helium did past year.

"It's not that important to me," Redick said erstwhile asked astir the starters. "I haven't spent a ton of clip reasoning astir it. We surely person a fig of players -- 7 oregon 8 starter-level players successful the NBA. I bash cognize this: I did accidental that past year. And that starting lineup started 8 games unneurotic to commencement the play and we started 24 lineups passim the year.

"Not going to walk excessively overmuch clip banging my caput against the partition connected that earlier we person a practice."