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 downthe 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.
Many people around the league are questioning whether the Lakers’ ownership group has the financial resources to compete with the newer, wealthier investors who are buying into NBA teams, per@EricPincus
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral)June 11, 2024
“Many around the league look at the Lakers' primary ownership group and…pic.twitter.com/N0KZsSdDs3
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 theLakers were going to offerHurley 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.
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