Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said bolstering the back end of the roster will be the franchise’s top offseason priority after a second-round exit against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Speaking at his year-end media session, Redick noted that injuries to Luka Doncic (out for the entire postseason) and Austin Reaves (absent for four of six games in the first round versus the Houston Rockets) exposed the team’s limited options beyond its core rotation. Los Angeles finished the regular season with 50 wins for the second straight year, earned the No. 4 seed and advanced past Houston, but ran out of healthy bodies against Oklahoma City.
Redick explained that sustained success requires reliable contributors in roster spots 10 through 15, whether acquired through internal development, the draft, trades or free agency. He pointed to the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs—each boasting at least 13 players capable of handling rotation minutes—as examples of the depth he wants to replicate.
“You plan all summer for a particular lineup, and maybe five times all year you actually get to use it,” he said, adding that unforeseen combinations often appear during timeouts once injuries accumulate. “Coaches can adjust rotations, but you still have to be able to call on more than eight or nine guys when it matters.”
Los Angeles has relied on tight regular-season rotations in Redick’s two campaigns, a strategy the coach believes left certain players fatigued by playoff time. Strengthening the bench, he said, would help the Lakers navigate the full 82-game schedule while keeping their stars fresher for the postseason.
Despite the early exit, Redick’s performance received league-wide recognition; he finished seventh in 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year voting after leading the Lakers to consecutive 50-win seasons to begin his coaching career.
Source: LakersNation.com
