Statements
LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers lost Dan Hurley on Monday.
The Lakers seem to have lost the thread.
Hurley turned down the Lakers' six-year, $70 million offer.
This is not a shock.
Hurley has a chance to chase a third straight NCAA championship.
The Lakers' job may have been a poisoned chalice.
Challenges of Finding the Right Fit
There is no guarantee that a hard-charging, no-NBA-experience hire like Hurley would fit well with LeBron James. LeBron has exacting standards and a particular view of how teams should operate. He prefers to be a partner with a head coach rather than a subordinate.
The Lakers do not seem to know what they are doing or whom they want to become. They embarrassed themselves chasing a gamble. Hurley was a gamble. The Lakers were spurned in a public, slow-moving manner. This makes the Lakers appear small and provides a sheen of amateurism.
Why Pursue Hurley?
Why would they put themselves out there for a college coach who does not want the job? Hurley might have been a huge success in Los Angeles. He is a proven winner. Scouts and front-office personnel have been impressed with the tactical level of UConn's teams. Maybe Hurley would have made the leap from college basketball to NBA coaching, as Brad Stevens and Billy Donovan have done successfully. However, the past does not always predict the future, and many are skeptical of college head coaches at the NBA level.
Being turned down publicly is one thing. Being the Lakers and turned down by a college coach is another.
Impact on Other Candidates
JJ Redick must feel stung. He gave off "I'll-confirm-my-new-head-coaching-gig vibes" on his podcast. Having to go on national TV and pretend he hadn't been dumped for someone else must have been hard.
James Borrego was left in a strange limbo-meets-rejection over the past few days. The candidates with NBA experience watched the Lakers' failed press with Hurley.
The Lakers' two strongest candidates could not have been more different. Hurley would have been an investment in a longer game, looking toward a post-LeBron reality. He might turn three first-round picks into groundwork for a youthful team. Redick, on the other hand, would signal a focus on LeBron's waning years, emphasizing competing in the short term. He might trade three first-round picks for a star player.
These are very different visions.
Questioning the Lakers' Approach
The Lakers seem to be operating as if hiring an NBA head coach is like scrolling through Netflix. It's not a sound way to run an NBA organization. There are consequences for a slipshod approach. Hurley turning down the Lakers makes it hard to find a winning candidate. The Lakers cannot afford LeBron deciding to go somewhere else. LeBron has plenty of leverage and might have a firmer say in who gets the gig.
LeBron and the new coach might push to trade for another star. That's fine as a well-thought-out plan, but not as an unintended consequence of being embarrassed by Hurley.
The Lakers chased a shocker in going after Hurley. The biggest surprise is the team Hurley passed on has no real plan. The team does not know its vision to win in the future.
Quotes
"I can do better."