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Current ESPN analyst and 15-year NBA veteran J.J. Redick interviewed for the Toronto Raptors’ vacant head coaching role, according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Redick, 38 years old, spent 15 seasons in the NBA with Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas Mavericks after being selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.
“Fifteen-year NBA veteran and ESPN analyst JJ Redick has interviewed for the Toronto Raptors’ coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Redick was part of a first-round of candidates to meet with franchise leadership,” Woj reported.
At this time, it is unclear whether or not Redick has advanced to a second round of interviews with the team, the NBA’s lone franchise north of the border.
The Toronto Raptors are in the process of looking for a new coach after parting ways with Nick Nurse, who served as the team’s head coach from 2018 to 2023. The 55-year-old Nurse led the Toronto Raptors to an NBA title during the 2019 season and was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2020.
Following his retirement in 2021, Redick has embarked on numerous media ventures as he launched the podcast The Old Man and the Three, and began working for ESPN as an NBA analyst, where he appears on programs such as Get Up!, First Take, and SportsCenter.
Redick became an immediate hit with basketball fans due to his honest and forthright analysis, in addition to his willingness to challenge some of the network’s talking heads on their unfounded points. Earlier this year, for example, Redick called out Kendrick Perkins over his comments about Nikola Jokic’s MVP wins having to do with his race.
During his 15-season NBA career, the 3-point specialist — who played for coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University — averaged 12.8 points, two rebounds, and two assists per game, while also averaging 41% from beyond the 3-point line.
The highest scoring season of Redick’s career came in 2018-19 with the Philadelphia 76ers, as he averaged over 18 points per game.