What’s the Significance of Dan Hurley Rejecting the Lakers’ Job?
After winning his second straight National Championship with the UConn Men’s Basketball team in March, rumors were floating around this past week that Dan Hurley may be considering the Lakers head coaching job. As of yesterday, Hurley turned down the Lakers' massive offer of six years for $70 million. This would have been an instant pay boost for Hurley from his current salary of $5.35 million as UConn’s Head Coach. However, with Hurley turning down this role what are the implications for the Lakers and Dan Hurley moving forward?
As for Hurley and the UConn men’s program, the future looks bright. They are coming off two tremendous National Championship seasons and are slated to be back in the mix contending for another National Title in March next year. Hurley has created a culture of excellence and hustle at UConn which is rare among college programs nowadays with many collegiate players moving around more than ever due to the transfer portal. The Huskies with Hurley next season will be vying for the third straight National Championship and could be the first team to three-peat since the UCLA Bruins did in 1969.
As for the Lakers, their offseason continues to be loaded with questions. After firing Darvin Ham last month, they have been on the search for their next Head Coach ever since. However, this Lakers job is not exactly a prime job as LeBron James has been known to be a challenging player to coach and this roster doesn’t have a lot of young talent that can lift them to a championship anytime soon. Hurley could’ve been a great fit for this team if the Lakers were willing to commit to a rebuild, but with Lebron James and Anthony Davis getting older, a full-blown rebuild with Hurley would’ve probably meant blowing up the roster. However, The six-year deal they did offer to Hurley suggests that maybe the Lakers are going to be committed to a coach and a process for the long haul in getting this franchise back into a place where they can compete again, potentially by trading LeBron and Davis for younger talents and draft capital. With Hurley out of the picture for the Lakers' coaching job, the Lakers will have to look to someone else to fill the coaching void such as JJ Redick who has been rumored to be a primary candidate despite no previous basketball coaching experience.
