Why did Dan Hurley reject the Los Angeles Lakers’ $70 million offer to become head coach?

On June 11, 2024By Rgal Nv

After all the hype surrounding a possible Huskies coaching deal, it appears the Lakers haven’t found their guy. With Dan Hurley now set to stay in Connecticut, the Lakers will have to look elsewhere while Hurley himself will likely take stock of the situation as he eyes a future career in the NBA, which he indicated ‘he would like to have.

With Dan Hurley rejected, Lakers could turn to previous options

You have now seen the extent of the reports that Dan Hurley turned down the Los Angeles Lakers’ offer to be their next head coach. With that, Hurley is now set to continue as head coach at the University of Connecticut, which, it must be said, is not entirely surprising given the history he has made with the ‘team. Indeed, Hurley led the Huskies to their second consecutive national championship last season. As for the details of the deal, reports indicated that the contract was worth $70 million over six years.

Dan Hurley signed a 6-year, $32.1 million contract with UConn following the 2022-23 season.

After winning two consecutive championships, he had the opportunity to:

🔸Take over the Los Angeles Lakers
🔸Coach LeBron James
🔸Earn TWICE as much money

But loyalty must be respected 💯 pic.twitter.com/A4DTS6gh3V

– Clutch Points (@ClutchPoints) June 10, 2024

Of course, this now places the focus on the Lakers as their search for a new coach must continue. To that end, it’s highly likely that we’ll soon learn more about the two coaches the franchise was linked with before talking about Hurley, that is, broadcaster ESPN. JJ Redick and New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego. As you may know, Redick was initially the frontrunner for the job, a notion made easier by the fact that he co-hosts the “Mind the Game” podcast with Lakers star LeBron James. That said, the former 76ers player has no coaching experience.

Regarding Borrego, fans will know him from his time with the Hornets. Indeed, even though he failed to lead them to the playoffs, he managed to record the most wins the team has seen since 2015 with a record of 43-39. Most recently, he joined the New Orleans Pelicans and guided the team to their 11th-best offense just one season after finishing 20th in that same category. Looking at the Lakers here and now, is it unreasonable to think that an offensive-minded coach like Borrego could have a similar effect? Frankly, given how the Lakers’ offense looked last season, it couldn’t hurt to try.

As carried away as Hurley became about the Lakers court and their vision for him, he ultimately couldn’t give up a chance to make history and pursue a third straight NCAA title. Even before the Lakers talks, Hurley had already received an offer from UConn to become one of the highest-paid coaches in the NCAA…

–Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2024

With that, we return to Hurley and why he said no. Ultimately, it’s about history, or rather the opportunity to make it. With back-to-back championships in his pocket and a team more than capable of competing for a third, Hurley just couldn’t cope. Indeed, even though the Huskies coach said the Lakers made a “compelling case,” leaving him “extremely impressed” with general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss, he simply couldn’t give up on the opportunity to achieve something truly special. “down the road.”