Did Dan Hurley Really Give Up THAT Much Money By Turning Down The Lakers?

ByJoey Heldon June 13, 2024inArticles›Sports News

We’re in the midst of the NBA Finals, but the biggest story around the league over the past week was a growing rumor that UConn head coach Dan Hurley was going to make the leap to the pros and join the Los Angeles Lakers. Celtics fans lamented that their cross-country rival was taking the spotlight away from their potential record-setting NBA championship run , and…well, they’re not wrong. The timing of the announcement was probably carefully coordinated by the Lakers.

Still, Hurley to the Lakers always seemed a bit far-fetched. He’s just won two consecutive national championships with the Huskies. He’s reloaded in the transfer portal and has what looks to be another excellent roster. The Lakers’ two biggest stars are LeBron James , who’s about to turn 40, and Anthony Davis , who, despite having his healthiest season in years, has missed plenty of time due to various injuries. The rest of the team is inconsistent, and it showed as the Lakers didn’t make it out of the first round this year.

Earlier this offseason, Hurley turned down a large offer from Kentucky to become their next coach. Was the Lakers job really much better?

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Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Sure, the Lakers could spend more money, but that was about it. In the end, Hurley signed a six-year, $50 million extension to remain at UConn. Jeff Goodman reported the Lakers offered $70 million over six years.

Losing out on $20 million might seem rough, but as CPA Robert Raiola pointed out , the gap isn’t nearly that large. The Lakers deal is worth $6 million per year after taxes, while UConn’s deal is $4.6 million after taxes.

Hurley left about $8.4 million on the table by remaining in Storrs. He’s still eligible to sign other deals if he so chooses, and on a per-game basis, UConn was a no-brainer. The Lakers played 82 regular season games and five playoff games. Counting the NCAA Tournament—which, remember, UConn won—the Huskies finished with a 37-3 record. That’s fewer than half the games the Lakers had to play in.

Hurley is a fanatical planner and recruiter, of course, but a less grueling season is a big draw. More importantly, his family is happy on the East Coast—and he’s the reigning king of college basketball. Why give that up for a middling job with a roster that might look radically different in a year or two?

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Anthony Davis Just Signed The Largest NBA Extension Ever, Next Season He’ll Make 70% Of Michael Jordan’s NBA Career Earnings

ByJoey Heldon August 4, 2023inArticles›Sports News

  • Anthony Davis
  • LeBron James
  • Michael Jordan
  • Rich Paul
  • Taylor Swift

Anthony Davis joined the Los Angeles Lakers before the start of the 2019-20 NBA season, the result of a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. That season was suspended for more than four months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. When play finally resumed, Davis, LeBron James , and the rest of the Lakers ultimately won the championship.

The Lakers haven’t been back to the NBA Finals since, but after a strong end to this past season, they’re feeling good about their chances. That means signing one of their stars to a massive contract extension.

Davis and the Lakers agreed to a three-year, $186 million deal to keep Davis in L.A. through the 2027-28 season. The team will now pay Davis $270 million over the next five years. Davis will average $62 million per season in the new deal, which is the largest annual contract extension the league has ever seen.

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Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Davis became eligible to sign his extension on Friday and didn’t wait long to make it happen. He opted for financial security over the potential to make even more money by taking shorter deals — something his teammate has done with great success .

Despite the franchise’s championship in 2020, things weren’t nearly as rosy the next two years. The Lakers barely made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the 2020-21 season, losing in six games in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. The following year was even worse, as the Lakers missed the postseason entirely. Davis sat out more than half of his team’s games due to various injuries, appearing in just 76 of a possible 154 contests.

The deal is also big news for Rich Paul . He represents both Davis and James (who’s signed through next year and then has a player option in 2024-25) and has secured close to $370 million for the two L.A. stars. The NBA has a rule that caps agent fees at 4% for veteran players, so Paul will make about $14.8 million simply from these two contracts alone. His overall client roster is extensive — his players will earn a collective $500 million this upcoming season.

The Lakers are investing in Davis for the long term. Now, his goal is to help the franchise add another championship banner (or several) to its rafters.

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