The Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach hunt has been dealt a massive blow as the franchise’s top choice, UConn Huskies’ Dan Hurley rejected the franchise’s offer to chase a third-straight NCAA title with the program. Per NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the 17-time NBA champions offered the veteran coach a six-year, $70 million contract. But Hurley turned it down. His refusal to coach a historic team like the Lakers may have surprised some people, but not Shannon Sharpe and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson.
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The duo discussed the Lakers’ failed pursuit of the Huskies head coach and agreed that he made the right call. Johnson claimed on the recent episode of the Nightcap podcast, that the offer wasn’t strong enough for Hurley to uproot his life in Connecticut and move to Los Angeles.
He also pointed at the Lakers’ history of firing coaches at an alarming frequency and the team’s championship aspirations relying on LeBron James, who’ll turn 40 in December. Ocho also pointed out that the money wasn’t too alluring as well.
He said,
“I think for $100 million, he’d have made the move. Six [years] for 70 [million]? He can go back and coach for a third [straight NCAA] title and probably get six for 70 somewhere else… [Also] the coaches that’ve been with the Lakers, I don’t think any of them got past three years… LeBron? You don’t know how long LeBron gonna be there.”
Sharpe concurred with Johnson that $70 million wasn’t attractive enough to convince Hurley to leave college basketball and take on the stress of a lifetime. He said,
“[The offer] wasn’t good enough, Ocho. Look. Ty Lue just got a five-year, $70 million [contract]. You can’t make him one of the highest-paid. Because you are asking him to uproot his family, move across country, when he’s mainly, predominantly, been on the East Coast...”
Had Hurley accepted the Lakers’ terms, he would’ve been the sixth-highest-paid coach in the NBA. While that seems reasonable for a rookie coach, Hurley needed something ‘unrefusable’ to leave the work he has done at UConn.
The LA side now finds themselves in an awkward position. The next candidate they approach will know that he wasn’t their first choice, which could affect the locker room morale. However, they could circumvent that situation if they chase a highly-respected prospect like JJ Redick.
The Lakers have no choice but to pursue JJ Redick
After the Lakers fired Darvin Ham following their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets, rumors began circulating that former Los Angeles Clippers guard JJ Redick was the frontrunner to take over the vacant position. The retired guard’s stellar work as an analyst and a broadcaster impressed the basketball fraternity, prompting teams to ponder if he could transition into being a coach.
What makes the Celtics so great? @KingJames and @jj_redick discussed on Episode 9: https://t.co/Ap2bzADI76 pic.twitter.com/nUCpAR4Q4U
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) June 7, 2024
LeBron James is among the admirers of Redick’s tactical acumen and launched a podcast with the retired guard to discuss the X’s and O’s of the game. The 20-time All-Star has seemingly already given the Lakers his blessing to hire Redick without explicitly saying it.
It remains to be seen if the franchise follows through on their interest and hires a rookie head coach for arguably the toughest job in the league.
