Dan Hurley rejected the Lakers. Will LeBron be next?

The Los Angeles Lakers pursuing Dan Hurley is like Leonardo DiCaprio trying to date Dua Lipa. Sure, they might meet for coffee, but he’s a little older, has a history of brief relationships, and can’t offer any loot she doesn’t already have. Hurley flew to Los Angeles over the weekend to meet with the Lakers’ top brass, but the aging stars, poor supporting cast and limited future assets had to have been a turn-off. Now that he has opted to stay with the Connecticut Huskies after his flirtation with Los Angeles, the Lakers will need to lower their standards in their coaching search and once again target JJ Redick or a retread like James Borrego.

How far can a rich history, glamorous location and prime-time exposure really go when, under the Hollywood gloss, the Lakers are actually a perennial walk-on team? You can’t rest on your laurels when you’re no longer a title contender.

Despite the individual brilliance of Anthony Davis, the Lakers earned a 17th defensive ranking last season. On offense, AD does not shoot three-pointers and LeBron James, at 39 years old, is not as dominant as before. The Lakers have cracked the top 10 in offensive rating just once during LeBron’s tenure in purple and gold. Critical rotation players like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have left or been traded since the Lakers won the championship in 2020, and their replacements have not filled those voids effectively. LeBron and Davis were as healthy as the Lakers could have hoped for this year, yet they still had to claw their way to the playoffs, only to lose in five games. This may just be the beginning of a downward spiral for the franchise.

It’s also possible that Hurley simply used the Lakers to gain leverage for a raise with UConn. and set a higher bar for a possible future jump to the NBA. The Lakers’ six-year, $70 million offer to Hurley was substantial, but not out of UConn’s reach. This relative financial hesitation was evident a few years ago when Ty Lue was criticized before crossing the aisle to the Clippers and their billionaire owner, Steve Ballmer. Jeanie Buss faces unique financial pressures. Unlike many NBA team owners who made their fortunes in other industries before purchasing their teams, the Lakers are a family business and the franchise is their primary source of income.

This fiscal conservatism has also affected roster decisions; Notably, the Lakers declined to re-sign Caruso. Coming from college, where the transfer portal allows players to change teams each year, Hurley couldn’t have felt good about the fact that stability seems like a foreign concept in Los Angeles. Not only in the squad, but also in the coaching staff.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has fired two coaches in three years, despite recent successes. Frank Vogel was chosen as a scapegoat two seasons after winning a title, and Darvin Ham was fired just one season after the Lakers reached the Western Conference finals. No Lakers head coach has lasted more than three seasons since Phil Jackson’s retirement more than a decade ago.

Pelinka wants to protect his own job, in part, by moving on from coaches so quickly, but LeBron’s notorious impatience complicates matters. There was a time when any coach would agree to coach LeBron because he was an all-time great talent. But as he approaches 40, the risks outweigh the benefits. This is also the reason why the Lakers have resisted investing future assets for two consecutive years. With LeBron’s age, AD’s lack of durability, and the uncertain status of the rest of the roster, dumping all of your picks to go all-in isn’t as smart as it was for LeBron’s teams in the past. And with two expensive stars at the top of the roster, the NBA’s new luxury tax rules make putting a contender around LeBron and AD even more of a challenge.

Pelinka can negotiate three firsts (2024, 2029 and 2031), three exchanges (2026, 2028 and 2030) and six seconds this summer. But there is no realistic trade that could establish them as favorites in the West. And there’s no guarantee she can even make a trade that guarantees home field advantage in the first round. Would the Lakers have the best offer for Donovan Mitchell? Will Trae Young be available? Is there any move that can blow you away? I won’t be seeing him this summer unless there’s a big surprise coming up.

Which brings us to the biggest question of the Lakers’ summer, one that feels a little louder after this news cycle. Hurley rejected the Lakers. Will LeBron do the same? James has a player option for next season that he must decide by June 29. So he can figure out what the Lakers do in the draft, whether it’s making a big trade acquisition or selecting his son Bronny James.

LeBron should at least contemplate his future. If he stays in the West, he would perhaps push to replace Bradley Beal in Phoenix or form Old Man Avengers in Golden State. Or perhaps he could see appeal in Spurs if they want to accelerate around Victor Wembanyama. But considering the easy path to the Finals the Celtics just took, the East would be even more promising. Could he return to the Cavaliers or Heat as the final piece of the puzzle? Or maybe it would be better to help a franchise return to glory, whether it’s the Knicks or the Sixers? However, all of these suggestions would require trades aside from Philadelphia, which could create more than $60 million in cap space.

After leading the Cavaliers to a 3-1 comeback and a championship eight years ago, LeBron said he “had nothing left to prove.” He has since won another title and became the game’s all-time leading scorer. He still has plenty of game left to achieve even more. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won back-to-back championships at ages 40 and 41. But unlike Abdul-Jabbar, who transitioned seamlessly into a supporting role to win titles late in his career with the Showtime Lakers, LeBron finds himself in a less promising situation. However, his late career titles helped underscore Kareem’s longevity and adaptability and are part of what defines his greatness.

Leaving Los Angeles would bring risks. James would inevitably be portrayed as a ring hunter. If he won, his contributions would be diminished at the time. And if he fell short, they would label him a failure. But LeBron only needs to look at Tom Brady in the NFL to see a recent example of a legend winning his last championship with a new franchise, which only served to cement his GOAT status. There’s still a big debate about LeBron versus Michael Jordan, who won his six championships all in the same decade, all with the same franchise, all with largely the same group of teammates. LeBron will never have that argument in his favor. But he has won with different groups of teammates in different eras of basketball. Shouldn’t he focus even more on who he is when there’s still time to add rings?

However, the championships won’t be coming anytime soon in Los Angeles. Not in the current state of the Lakers. Not with the West as loaded as it is. This is why Hurley decided to return to Connecticut and why LeBron needs to at least ponder his next move.

The Lakers could also be better off if this is the end of an era. They are the most recent team to win the title with a standout player they didn’t draft. In the years since, the Bucks, Warriors and Nuggets have had success with the stars they have developed. This postseason we have seen the Celtics and Mavericks follow the same formula, building around local stars. Boston is on the verge of clinching Banner 18, passing the Lakers by the most in their history, and Dallas’ deep playoff run could cement Luka Doncic’s loyalty to the team and end the dreams of melancholy fans of the Lakers.

Once LeBron leaves or retires, the Lakers could begin to rebuild through the draft, just as they did after Kobe Bryant retired to build the type of young core that first made them attractive to LeBron. Just like they did by keeping Kobe as a centerpiece for five rings. Just as they did in their glory years in the 1980s with Magic Johnson and James Worthy. To get back on top, Buss needs to return the Lakers to who they always were. After so many denials and disappointments, the Lakers have to realize that the most satisfying championships are built on solid foundations, not on fleeting romances.