Not Steve Kerr: Stephen A. Smith reveals his choice for NBA Coach of the Year under one condition

The NBA regular season is nearing its conclusion, and teams are giving their all to secure a playoff spot. However, the path hasn’t been easy for anyone. Amid the fierce competition, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has already revealed his pick for the NBA Coach of the Year award—with one key condition—and notably excluded Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr from consideration.

As the trade deadline approached, teams looked to make impactful moves. In one of the most surprising trades, the Los Angeles Lakers sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic, a deal that reportedly caught everyone off guard.

Another team that capitalized on the transfer window was the Golden State Warriors, as Kerr was happy about it. Their front office moved swiftly to add a major piece to their roster, bringing in Jimmy Butler to join Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. With these high-profile additions, teams are gearing up for a final push to secure their spots in the playoffs this April.

With the current landscape of the NBA and after the Lakers’ strong performance over the weekend, Smith discussed his choice for Coach of the Year on ESPN’s NBA Countdown. “JJ Redick is a candidate for the Coach of the Year,” Smith said, while emphasizing a specific condition for Redick’s candidacy.

Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

Smith sets conditions for naming Redick as Coach of the Year

There has been plenty of buzz about who deserves the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2025. Two frontrunners have emerged as top candidates: Kenny Atkinson, who has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an exceptional regular season, and Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, who has also delivered an impressive performance.

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However, Smith outlined why Redick deserves consideration for the award, comparing last season to the current one while highlighting the Lakers’ offensive transformation. “He is just doing a hell of a job. The team looks completely different from last year. Defensively, not so much, but that wasn’t the case against the Nuggets,” Smith said.

Smith also sent a strong message to the rest of the league, expressing his admiration for the Lakers’ performance against the Nuggets. “If that Los Angeles Lakers team shows up in the postseason, look the hell out,” Smith warned about LeBron James’ squad.

Other coaches to consider for Coach of the Year

Despite Smith’s endorsement of Redick, several other names have made strong cases for Coach of the Year in 2025. With just a few weeks left until the postseason, a number of teams are putting together impressive campaigns.

In addition to Atkinson and Daigneault, other notable names include Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks, and Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies.