Lakers News: Dan Hurley Rejected LA Offer to Take Significantly Less Money from UConn

UConn head coach Dan Hurley rejected the Lakers head coaching job to take less money for the Huskies.

Mar 24, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts against the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers swung and missed when it came to bringing in UConn's head coach, Dan Hurley, to lead L.A. for 2024-25. Hurley turned down the Purple and Gold on Monday to return to UConn as he is searching for their third consecutive national championship.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Hurley turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers. What makes this even more detrimental is the fact that he turned down L.A. to take significantly less money from UConn.

Hurley would have made roughly $11.6 million annually with the Lakers, compared to only $5.3 million annually with the Huskies. Whether or not money was the issue, it's clear that the Lakers lowballed him. Last week, reports surfaced that the Lakers would offer Hurley an eight-year deal worth about $100 million.

The $70 million Wojnarowski reported is significantly lower, and as previously stated, who knows if it was about the money? At the end of the day, he may want to stay in the Northeast and seek another NBA job when the time is right or when a Northeast job becomes available.

There's no sugarcoating it, though. This is a massive loss for the Lakers, as they will now have to return to their other candidates, like the previous frontrunner, JJ Redick, James Borrego, and Sam Cassell.

The search for the next head coach continues, but who knows where they go from here? Things look bleak again for the purple and gold, and this falls on the heels of the Lakers brass led by owner Jeanie Buss.

Who will it be now?

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