Report: Hornets interviewing ESPN analyst, former NBA, Duke guard JJ Redick for head-coaching vacancy
The Charlotte Hornets are interviewing JJ Redick for their head-coaching vacancy, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.
Redick, 39, was a standout guard at Duke before embarking on a 15-season NBA career as a shooting specialist. Since retiring from the league in 2021, Redick has worked as an NBA analyst at ESPN. He started as a studio analyst in 2021 before moving to game broadcasts in 2023. He was promoted to ESPN's No. 1 broadcast team alongside Mike Breen and Doris Burke this season.
Redick has never coached in a formal capacity. He developed an interest in coaching in recent years, per the report. He reportedly interviewed for the Toronto Raptors coaching job in 2023.
Can Hornets turn the corner with a new coach?
The Hornets are searching for a coach after Steve Clifford resigned earlier in April to move into a front-office role. Charlotte finished 21-61 this season, tied for the third-worst record in the NBA. The losing campaign was Charlotte's seventh in the past eight seasons. The Hornets haven't made the playoffs since 2016 and haven't won a playoff series since the franchise's return to the NBA as the Bobcats in the 2004-05 season.
The Hornets have some promising young pieces on the roster. LaMelo Ball has been one of the game's most exciting young guards when healthy and earned an All-Star bid in his second NBA season in 2022. Still, injuries have limited him to a combined 58 games the past two seasons.
The Hornets just experienced a promising rookie campaign from forward Brandon Miller, who averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 37.3% from 3-point distance. He's a finalist for Rookie of the Year alongside favorite Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Charlotte has a lottery pick in the upcoming draft, with the third-best odds to secure the No. 1 pick.
The Hornets will be entering their second season under a new ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, who completed the majority purchase of the franchise from Michael Jordan last August. This will be the first full offseason under the new ownership group.
