3 Lakers who won’t be back after hiring JJ Redick as next head coach

JJ Redick wasn’t the first choice for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he is officially the head coach moving forward. This move has the potential to be a good one based solely on the relationship that he has with LeBron James.

This decision also means that James will have more control of the team and the potential roster as he will try to dictate which players he wants to play with. That's...not always great.

With the choice of Redick as the head coach of the Lakers, there will be some players who will not be returning, including those who were key contributors last year. Redick’s addition to the Lakers coaching staff will not be the only change that the Lakers will see. Expect at least these three players to be gone as a result of Redick’s hire.

3 Lakers who won’t be back after hiring JJ Redick as next head coach

Center Jaxson Haynes

The Lakers have four players who will decide on their availability for the upcoming season due to the player option in their contracts. Among these players is center Jaxson Haynes, who has played the sixth-most games for the Lakers this past season.

Haynes is a player who could decide to take his chances and move on to another team as a good backup big. The Lakers have too many big men. Haynes only started five games as a result.

That system won’t change much with Redick as the head coach. Despite playing the most games, Haynes only averaged 4.3 points per game. This is the lowest in a single season on average in his five years in the NBA. Haynes will find a better fit.

Forward/Center Christian Wood

Keeping up with the trend of big men for the Lakers, center Christian Wood is a player who might see a small significant change in his role. This could prompt him enough to ask for a trade from Los Angeles.

That move would also be beneficial for the Lakers, as it would be hard to justify paying Wood over $3 million to not provide much impact. The Lakers tried, but he didn’t flourish this past season and it will be even harder for him to shine in a new offense.

Trading Wood would help get the Lakers under the tax, which would be great for the Lakers in Redick’s first year.

Point Guard D’Angelo Russell

The biggest domino to fall after the Lakers decision to hire Redick as head coach is for point guard D'Angelo Russell to potentially opt out and become a free agent. There's a very good chance that Russell would become a great success in Redick's new offense, but he doesn't have a consistent role on this team.

Russell is a point guard who plays more off-ball, as LeBron is the point forward of the team. Russell is a player who has done well in creating his own shots, but his inconsistency frustrates Lakers fans. To keep peace within the Lakers' organization and keep James happy, Russell might seek a new home. It doesn’t help that Russell is one of the most criticized players within Laker Nation.

Russell has done well as a shooter as he has accumulated a field goal percentage of 45.6 percent and a three-point shooting percentage of 41.5 percent, the highest among players who have attempted more than an average of 1.5 three-point shots a game. If he opts in, he will receive $18.6 million with the Lakers. He could receive more playing for another team this upcoming season.