JJ Redick Confesses Lakers Locker Room’s Major Concern as Six-Figure Decision Looms

From a flicker of hope to a full-blown meltdown. The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t just lose to the Chicago Bulls on March 22—they got absolutely embarrassed. A 146-115 beatdown that started off looking like a solid matchup turned into a full-blown nightmare. Luka Doncic came out firing, dropping 29 of his 34 points in the first half, but once he cooled off? The Lakers completely collapsed. The Bulls ran circles around them in the second half, outscoring LA 81-53. Yeah, you read that right. Guess what Redick has to say?

Head coach JJ Redick didn’t sugarcoat anything when asked what went wrong. The answer? Straight-up exhaustion. The Lakers have been grinding through one of the toughest stretches of the season, and it finally caught up to them. But while Redick is focused on somehow keeping his squad alive for the playoffs, the Lakers’ front office is getting ready to clean house—and it’s all connected.

If you thought Redick was going to dance around the issue, you don’t know JJ. He called it exactly how it is: this team is gassed. “We played seven games in ten nights, six in the last eight,” Redick said, not mincing words. “Honestly, I thought when we came out, we looked flat, we felt flat, we moved flat. They just moved better than us all night.”

That’s a huge problem. The Lakers were only down three at halftime, but Redick knew that was misleading. “Luka made some insane shots, and we could have easily been down 15 to 20,” he admitted. And then? The floodgates opened. LA had nothing left to give after the Bulls ran them straight out of the gym, scoring 81 second-half points.

Mar 8, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts after a technical foul during the fourth quarter of a game against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The concern isn’t just about one ugly loss; it’s about the bigger picture. This team is in shambles right now and the timing couldn’t be worse. With the playoffs looming, Redick’s primary concern is not X’s and O’s, it’s survival. How does he keep a team, already stretched to its limits, from completely falling apart?

The Bulls’ 81-point second half wasn’t just a statistical anomaly; it was a warning sign. And Redick, staring down a gauntlet of games, knows that if this level of exhaustion persists, the Lakers’ playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy. It’s a locker room concern that transcends any single game, and a problem that demands immediate attention.

The LA Lakers’ six-figure roster shake-up

The Lakers’ front office is making some moves as it is at the same time that Redick is out here trying to keep things together. Cam Reddish and Alex Len? Yep, they are on the chopping block. Before the padding of the postseason grind really starts, LA is looking to shake up the roster.

Reddish signed a two-year deal with the Lakers last summer, but let’s be real—he’s barely made an impact. He picked up his $2.46 million player option for next season, but with rookie Dalton Knecht stepping up, Reddish has been glued to the bench. And Len? He was a midseason addition after that failed Mark Williams trade, but let’s just say… it hasn’t worked out. He’s played eight games in LA, and his time might already be over.

By waiving them, the Lakers can free up space to bring in some fresh legs—guys like Jordan Goodwin, Trey Jemison III, or Christian Koloko from two-way deals to standard contracts. That’s the plan. Inject some energy into this rotation before it’s too late.

So here’s the reality check—the Lakers are at a breaking point. Redick knows his squad needs rest, but guess what? The NBA schedule doesn’t care. The front office is scrambling to move pieces around, but the midseason roster changes. Not exactly a recipe for stability.

And let’s not forget—LeBron James is still working his way back from injury, and Luka Doncic is carrying a massive load every single night. If this team is already running on empty in March, what’s gonna happen when the real battles begin in the playoffs?

For now, Redick has to figure out a way to keep this thing from falling apart. If the Lakers don’t fix this soon, they’re not just looking at early playoff exhaustion—they might be looking at an early exit.