4 Lakers on Thin Ice With Shocking Coaching News
By Cem Yolbulan
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of hiring their next head coach. Even though most people assumed that JJ Redick would be announced once the NBA Finals wrapped up, stunning news dropped on Thursday, with Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the Lakers are targeting Dan Hurley of UConn instead.
There is a chance Hurley stays in Connecticut and the Lakers go back to the drawing board. What this news signals is that no one is safe this summer.
The Lakers' management targeting Hurley even though LeBron James prefers Redick says a lot about their intentions. There will be a lot of changes this offseason and the Lakers will do whatever they feel is right for their future instead of trying to appease LeBron.
With that in mind, here are four members of the Lakers who are on thin ice with the potential hire of Dan Hurley.
1. D'Angelo Russell
Russell has a player option for the 2024-25 season worth $18.6 million. He had a solid season last year so he might opt out and secure a longer deal. It's hard to see the Lakers being the team giving him the deal he desires.
Russell is a fine regular-season player and he carries a good chunk of the offensive workload. But the Lakers should go after bigger fish this offseason. Russell is not a playoff player and giving him over $15 million per year over multiple seasons is not smart business.
Whether they use him in a sign-and-trade or just let him walk in free agency, the Lakers are probably better off finding a cheaper replacement.