LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Concerns About Lakers' Ownership Cast Shadow on Team's Future

The latest report reveals a dooming outlook on the Lakers' future.

By Richard Louis

Dec 22, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss speaks at 2020 NBA Championship ring ceremony at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss speaks at 2020 NBA Championship ring ceremony at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Lakers last played a game on April 29 but that hasn't stopped them from being a topic of discussion.

The Lakers have a long list of things that need to be done over the next couple of weeks. The first thing on that list is finding a head coach to replace Darvin Ham. There were countless reports that Los Angeles was locked into JJ Redick but that took a turn when it was revealed the Lakers were heavily pursuing UConn's Dan Hurley.

Despite their push, Hurley decided to turn down the Lakers' job, leaving the door open for a new coach.

After it was released that Los Angeles offered Hurley a six-year, $70 million deal, it sparked some questions regarding the team's future.

Lakers News: There Is Some Doubt Regarding the Ownership in Los Angeles

There is now belief around the league that ownership could be holding back the team.

"Many around the league look at the Lakers' primary ownership group and wonder if they can keep pace with the newer wave of billionaires investing in NBA franchises."

- Eric Pincus

There were some initial reports that the Lakers were going to offer Hurley an eight-year, $100 million deal but the Lakers fell firmly behind that offer.

If Hurley was really their guy, the Lakers needed to throw the kitchen sink at him to lock down the deal but that wasn't the case.

That offer would have made Hurley a top-six highest-paid coach in the league but it's kind of strange coming from the third most valuable franchise in the NBA.

This isn't the first time that the Lakers decided to hold back funds when pursuing a coach. Back in 2019, Los Angeles held back from hiring Ty Lue because he wanted a longer deal than the Lakers wanted to give.

The Lakers have never been cheap with their players but they have done that in recent memory with coaching candidates. If they continue that trend, it'll be hard for them to land the top coaching candidates in the league, which is a step back compared to other ownership groups around the NBA.

More Lakers news and rumors:

feed

Home/Los Angeles Lakers