After missing out on their initial target, the Los Angeles Lakers finally land another whale they’ve been eyeing for a while.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 17-time NBA World Champions will be hiring ESPN analyst and former NBA player JJ Redick as the franchise’s next head coach.

Despite having no prior head coaching experience at any level in the NBA, Redick has obtained the green light from Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss to lead the franchise next season.

Redick has a podcast with a player he soon will be coaching LeBron James in ‘Mind the Game’, in which they talk about basketball concepts and strictly hoops and hoops alone. Redick and LeBron particularly dissect plays that teams run in the NBA and the ones they have encountered over the years they have played in the league. This distinct knowledge of the game and his relationship with James might have contributed to this hire.

To help Redick have a faster learning curve for his first-ever coaching job in the NBA, the Lakers are reportedly eyeing to surround him with an elite head coaching staff with a wealth of experience and veteran presence.

A 15-year NBA vet, Redick promises to be a strong developmental coach who can connect with younger players, and this figures out to be an enticing prospect for the Lakers as they plan to infuse their young talent in Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie, and Jalen Hood-Schfino into more opportunities.