Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers: Potential Remaining Candidates

The Los Angeles Lakers have needed to hire a new head coach since firing Darvin Ham after being swept by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

There was much anticipation built for the possibility of the Lakers hiring UConn head coach Dan Hurley, but he reportedly opted to remain in his current job. Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers were prepared to pay him $70 million over six years.

Given Hurley is coming off back-to-back national championships with UConn, it would naturally have to be such an attractive situation for him to leave the program he’s built.

Other top candidates that have been mentioned as potential options for the Lakers, seemingly are led by former NBA player and ESPN analyst J.J. Redick along with New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to Borrego increasingly as of late, so it remains to be seen how long he’ll remain available. He’s become a hot name for teams around the NBA to consider in head coaching searches.

There are additional linked alternative options to monitor for the Lakers as well, including Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell, Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori, and Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn.

Considering just how much buzz was surrounding Redick before the emerging storyline about Hurley being the Lakers’ top priority in their search, he remains a natural candidate to watch. He’s currently broadcasting the NBA Finals with ESPN, making it likely that he’d need to wait until after the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks conclude the series.

Regardless of which coaching candidate the Lakers choose, time is running out to contend for a championship with LeBron James before he is no longer playing for the franchise. Anthony Davis remains in his prime. There are a lot of factors to weigh about making the most of the present.

The financial investment the Lakers are willing to make for a head coach remains an important factor in their search. The team offered a surprisingly low amount to Hurley in an attempt to lure him from UConn. For a top option on the market, they are going to have to pay a premium for it and cannot rely on the perceived allure of Los Angeles.