The ink is barely dry on JJ Redick’s contract as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, but his coaching staff is already in motion. In what’s a bit of a surprise, but ultimately a good thing for the team, a key person on Redick’s new staff is heading off for a special international job in Slovenia this summer. This will mean he’ll be working really closely with the Lakers’ biggest star, Luka Dončić.
On Tuesday, the Basketball Federation of Slovenia sent a ripple through the NBA world with a post on X (formerly Twitter). They announced that Greg St. Jean, one of Redick’s new assistant coaches, would be joining the Slovenian national team’s staff for the upcoming EuroBasket 2025 tournament. “Greg St. Jean… will become part of the Slovenian national team’s coaching staff,” the translation of the post read. “He has worked closely with Luka Dončić both in Dallas and now in LA – and will now bring his knowledge and experience to the Slovenian camp.”
Del strokovnega štaba slovenske reprezentance bo postal tudi Greg St. Jean, pomočnik trenerja pri Los Angeles Lakers. Greg je z našo reprezentanco že sodeloval med pripravami na EuroBasket 2022, zdaj pa se uradno vrača kot pomemben člen trenerske ekipe. Z Luko Dončićem je tesno… pic.twitter.com/Eimf8oJgo2
— Košarkarska zveza SIovenije (@kzs_si) July 4, 2025
The move makes perfect sense. Luka is fiercely loyal to his home country, and he has already confirmed that he will be playing in EuroBasket, which is set to run from August 27th to September 14th. For him, it’s not just another tournament, but it’s a matter of national pride. “[The passion from the fans] is why I play every year,” he once said on the “Mind the Game” podcast. “I like to represent my country. But you see, my country lives for sports. For how small we are, I think we have great sports people.”
And St. Jean won’t be the only familiar face joining Luka in the Slovenian camp. In a really interesting turn, former Dallas Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, the guy who made the draft-night trade that brought Luka to Dallas in 2018, has been named a special adviser to the team. It’s a powerful reunion, especially after Nelson publicly called the Mavs’ decision to trade Luka a “tremendous mistake” and even wore Luka’s signature shoes in “protest.” For Luka, it’s going to be a summer surrounded by people who support him.
And as St. Jean heads to Slovenia, the Lakers are making another addition to their coaching staff back home. According to a post from Duke’s official men’s basketball account, Justin Robinson, the Blue Devils’ director of player development, will be joining Redick’s staff as a player development coach. And if you think about it, Justin Robinson joining Redick’s staff is really interesting.
It’s a clear sign of the kind of culture new head coach JJ Redick wants to build. Justin Robinson—yes, the same Robinson who once captained Duke—isn’t just known for his high character and basketball IQ. He also happens to be the son of NBA legend and Hall of Famer David Robinson. While his father made his mark with the Spurs, Justin’s ties to winning culture and professionalism run just as deep.
His former coach at Duke, Jon Scheyer, put it best: “Justin Robinson embodies the values of our program as well as anyone. His work ethic, knowledge of Duke Basketball culture, and professional experience will be invaluable to our current players.”
For Redick, surrounding himself with people who understand the game at a foundational level—and have lived it through elite systems like Duke’s—is a sharp, intentional move as he lays the groundwork for his coaching era.
But Justin Robinson isn’t the only addition to the Lakers this offseason.
“Size over culture”: Why JJ Reddick and the Lakers are going all in on DeAndre Ayton
Even as the Lakers were putting together their coaching staff, their biggest need was still on the court: a starting center. After a frustrating start to free agency where they missed out on their top choices and a key “culture guy” like Dorian Finney-Smith, they took a huge, risky chance. The Lakers have officially signed former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton to a two-year, $16.6 million contract.
This move shows a clear change in how the Lakers’ front office thinks. They’ve decided to put pure talent and physical abilities above everything else. As Dan Woike of The Athletic perfectly summed it up: “Culture can’t play above the rim. It can’t stand between the basket and Rudy Gobert. It can’t catch lobs from Luka Doncic. DeAndre Ayton can do all of that stuff. And that’s why the Lakers are excited to have him on their team.”
But not everyone is optimistic about this decision. The sighs from around the league sound more like warnings. One former Suns staffer was super direct, saying, “This is not going to work. He’s going to do this little half-roll thing. Luka is going to get fed up with him. JJ Redick’s going to get driven crazy. This is going to be a disaster.”
Another viewpoint, this time from a former Blazers staffer, offered something Lakers fans might actually want to hear. He suggested that Ayton’s recent struggles could actually be the very thing that saves his career. “He’s a guy who’s been dumped by two franchises and as you said, is basically playing on a prove-it deal… and that’s going to create a sense of urgency,” the staffer said. So, here’s the million-dollar question: Will Ayton finally start doing the “dirty work” he’s so often avoided?
He might not even have a choice. As ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins put it, this is Ayton’s last chance to show he belongs in the league. “He better come in with the right mindset because this could possibly be his last shot,” Perkins said. Then he talked about the huge pressure that comes with playing for the Lakers. “You’re playing for one of the most historic franchises in sports. You got Magic Johnson watching you day to day. You got Big Game, James Worthy. They’re watching your a—. You got to go out there and produce, period.”
That kind of inconsistent effort that has been a problem throughout his career, like a two-point game against the Nets last season that former player Channing Frye called “gross,” just won’t be allowed anymore.
The biggest unknown in all of this might just be JJ Redick himself. When he was an analyst on ESPN’s First Take, he often spoke up for Ayton’s game. “Ayton’s fantastic,” Redick said back in 2022. “He’s fantastic at punishing mismatches.” Now, the coach who once praised Ayton has the chance to be the one who finally helps him reach his full potential. It’s a huge gamble, but for a Lakers team desperate to win another championship, it’s a risk they clearly felt they had to take.
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