J.J. Redick is now officially the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite having zero professional experience as a head coach, the former Duke standout and current co-host of a podcast with Lakers star LeBron James will lead the historic franchise on a four-year deal (no financial compensation was reported). Following Danny Hurley's declination of the position, the news comes as no surprise, as this has long been suspected, but it does raise some questions. Why would the Lakers turn to an inexperienced coach? What does the compensation look like for Redick? And can he be successful?

Why would the Lakers turn to an inexperienced coach?

The move to hire Redick is likely due to his close relationship with Lakers star and face of basketball LeBron James, with whom he co-hosts the podcast "Mind The Game." The Lakers star has the ability to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, so retaining a coach he approves of and, quite frankly, has control over would be huge for their hopes of retaining the star. If you want to dismiss that as skepticism, you could point to Redick's exceptional basketball knowledge that has been on display as a player, commentator, and talking head. Redick's years in the league and as a leader in locker rooms will also help him step into the massive role that has not seen a coach retained for more than three years since Phil Jackson left the team in 2011.

What does the compensation look like for Redick?

The length of Redick's contract was reported as four years. However, the dollar amount is still unknown, which is odd as that was a huge part of the Hurley offer that was reported. My theory remains: Hurley was offered very publicly to give both the Lakers front office and Hurley leverage. Hurley is currently working on a new deal with UConn. The Lakers were likely able to offer fewer years and less money to Redick under the guise that their previous public offer of 6 years and $70 million to the best college coach in the country would not be the same as they would be willing to pay an unknown. Based on the Hurley offer, we know that the Lakers ownership has less interest in spending on coaches as players remain their focal point.

Will Redick be successful as the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers?

In short, no. This is not because of the lack of experience or depth on the Lakers team, although those things will factor into his success. The Lakers are playing in a stacked Western Conference that continues to improve, while they seem to continue to tread water. If things go perfectly for this Lakers team – they add some defensive wings, find some upside in the draft, and LeBron and Davis are healthy for the full year – they are a play-in team at best. If Redick can fill out his staff with some experienced assistants and maintain the ear of the locker room, he might have a successful career as an NBA head coach. This move is very much high risk, high reward. It is possible the Lakers front office has identified something in Redick that will help him overcome these factors and lead the franchise back to relevance. But in my opinion, Redick's success will not be over the next four years with the Los Angeles Lakers.