According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Dan Hurley will step down as head coach of the Lakers and remain as head coach at UConn. So who should the Lakers be paying the most attention to as coaches going forward? And will LeBron James stay with the Lakers next season? NBA reporters give their opinions.
What was your reaction to Dan Hurley turning down the Lakers?
Vincent Goodwill: If he thinks he’ll leave the University of Connecticut to take that dead-end job, sell your waterfront property in Detroit. It’s December. Now, does this mean Hurley is here for life? Who knows. He could do what Brad Stevens did when no one thought he’d leave Butler, and the leaked amount shows where closer-to-home teams should start bidding.
Jake Fisher: Rumors abounded in coaching circles that Hurley’s family has deep East Coast ties, making it impossible for him to eventually head to California and escape the budding dynasty, and the fact that the Lakers didn’t extend The Godfather an offer (a reported six years, $70 million doesn’t seem all that staggering for someone already making a decent living) probably wasn’t enough to change his situation.
Ben Rohrbach: Not surprising. This is a stalled NBA job with 40-year-old LeBron James due to be paid more than $50 million next season. James hasn’t improved in the Western Conference with Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Lakers are 123-123 over the past three seasons. Hurley’s success in Los Angeles would have meant a trip to the Western Conference Finals, just as Darvin Ham has done. Success at the University of Connecticut could go down in history, and it turns out the financial aspects of the two options aren’t all that different.
Kristen Peake: Hurley turned down the head coaching job at Kentucky and a lucrative contract with the Lakers that same offseason. He also brought back one of his best players, Alex Caravan, as a junior. 5 Star Liam McNeelyHurley’s return is a huge win for college basketball, and no matter how close the decision was, he made the right decision to return to Storrs.
Dan Titus: It’s a smart move. Why get caught up in the Lakers’ mess when UCLA is on its way to making history for the first time since winning three straight national championships in the late ’60s and early ’70s? The offer was enticing, but he has enough clout to make UConn back up Brinks’ truck.
Dan Devine: Congratulations to Dan Hurley, who we imagine will be receiving a huge pay raise from the University of Connecticut, and of course to everyone who found a way to kill time on the weekend between Games 1 and 2.
Who are the Lakers’ top targets?
Fisher: The job has long been thought to be lost to JJ Redick, with various sources saying the Lakers are attracted to the similarities to luring Pat Riley out of the broadcast booth before embarking on his legendary career in coaching and player personnel, and he clearly has a connection with LeBron James and would love to join them on the sideline.
peak: I vote for JJ Redick, this has been a story told behind the scenes all this time and whether or not the interest in Hurley was just a promotion for Redick’s current role as game commentator for the NBA Finals, I think he is currently viewed as the second option and is probably the best fit for the job.
Divine: With the caveat that the success of coaching has a lot to do with 99% of the work we do, do not It tells you a lot more than 1% of what we do with play calling, rotation management, and timeout usage.
If the goal is to find someone with experience building offensively productive, efficient and winning units and a reputation as a creative offensive thinker, how about David Adelman, a member of the Nuggets staff. After all, the Lakers have seen up close and personal how effective Denver’s offensive plan can be over the past few years. Or, once the Celtics season is over, how about Sam Cassell. Few assistants are as widely respected throughout the league as Cassell. Cassell’s power comes with a stellar 15-year playing career that included three NBA titles, followed by another 15 years as an assistant, and a long history as Doc Rivers’ chief assistant before teaming up with Joe Mazzulla to join a Celtics team that may soon win a championship.
Failing that, maybe see if Frank Vogel is interested. Proven championship coaches are hard to find.
Titus: It’s either JJ or bust, and if Redick passes, the experienced assistant will face the same pressure as Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel.
Rohrbach: Maybe JJ Redick? He was high on their list before the Hurley news broke. I don’t pretend to know who could turn the Lakers into a serious championship contender, but I do know this: Whoever it is will demand the six-year, $70 million offer the Lakers reportedly offered Hurley.
Goodwill: Who knows? Some people around the league think JJ Redick doesn’t want to get involved in this, he doesn’t want to be the No. 2 pick, but he wants to coach. The Lakers seem very interested in him for some reason, and the focus will shift smoothly to him. Because who else? The coaching cycle is almost over, and Redick is doing a podcast with… LeBron James.
Fact or fiction: LeBron James will be with the Lakers next season.
peak: Fact. The James family is very comfortable in Los Angeles, and LeBron himself has said he is happy to be a part of the Lakers. His son Bronny is fortunate to be in the Lakers purple and gold, becoming the first father and son to take the court together in NBA history. The Lakers have the 17th and 55th picks in the draft. LeBron’s youngest son, Bryce, will be a senior at Sierra Canyon High School, and with retirement approaching, it wouldn’t make sense for him to move the family anywhere else.
Divine: It’s true. He’s spent the better part of the last decade with every aspect of his professional and personal life relocated to Los Angeles. I don’t think he’ll suddenly decide to leave, let alone team up with Joel Embiid. I think LeBron will stay with the Lakers until he retires. Given his current productivity, retirement should come after a season or two of playing with Bronny’s son, LeBron III.
Goodwill: It’s true, because where else would he go? Do he want to win a championship or make the biggest salary? Do he want to have the biggest impact or play with his son? All of the plans are in conflict, and the easiest and cleanest way to accomplish all of them is to stay with the Lakers in Los Angeles. If James really does come bowing at their door, who’s going to free up $50 million in cap space? Those moves should be in motion by now, and there are very few rumors about it. Of course, he can do whatever he wants and leave. But he won’t.
Rohrbach: Fact. Moving elsewhere would almost certainly mean taking a big pay cut. Plus, James seems in complete control of the Lakers. They could hire his podcast co-host as their next head coach. They’d definitely draft his son, Bronny, if they take him with the 55th pick. They’d give him a huge contract extension this summer. His job, his home, his family are in Los Angeles. What on earth would that mean other than chasing a championship ring as the third member of an established championship-contending team?
Fisher: It’s a fact. First, there is no other logical landing spot. James isn’t going to pay minimum salary to join Phoenix and abandon his team in hopes that Joel Embiid can stay healthy through the postseason. Is he going to sign with Detroit? Orlando? No kidding.
Titus: Fact. LeBron’s personal life and business appear to be rooted in Los Angeles. Bronny’s destination could change things in the future, but the Lakers will likely pay LeBron whatever he wants in the offseason. He’s one of the few players in NBA history to have his number retired by three teams, and I can’t imagine he’d want to join another team. just still.
