Why LeBron James’ max contract is latest indictment of Lakers’ front office in a summer full of them

Dwane Casey reportedly said no to becoming an assistant coach under JJ Redick with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. The move, in itself, is not especially notable. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that he did not want to uproot his family, which is an understandable decision that has little to do with basketball. It just underscored a pretty disturbing trend: a lot of people are saying no to the Lakers lately, aren’t they?

Think about some of the big-name assistants they had been linked to after hiring Redick. Sam Cassell? Remained with the Boston Celtics. James Borrego, the runner-up for the top job? Stuck with the New Orleans Pelicans. Redick was hired on June 20 and went more than two weeks without securing a single assistant before Wednesday’s reported hires of Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan. There was, of course, the highly publicized run at UConn coach Dan Hurley that ended with a low-ball offer. And then on Monday, Klay Thompson, who grew up in Los Angeles with a father who played for the Lakers, elected to join the Dallas Mavericks instead. ESPN’s Kendra Andrews and Ramona Shelburne reported that the Lakers offered more money on a longer deal: roughly $80 million over four years.

Individually, you can chalk each miss up to specific circumstances. The Lakers didn’t offer Hurley enough money. The assistants could have seen better career prospects elsewhere. DeMar DeRozan has, to this point, brushed off mid-level offers despite reported interest from the Lakers. Thompson joined a team that just reached the NBA Finals in Dallas and therefore seemingly has a better chance to win. But taken as a whole, this is a disturbing trend. We’re talking about the Lakers here. You know, the team that has won 17 championships and plays in the NBA’s most desirable market. Typically, more people want to be Lakers than the team can reasonably accommodate. Just think back to 2021, for instance. DeRozan was certain he was about to don the purple and gold. He didn’t because the Lakers instead chose a different Los Angeles native, Russell Westbrook, as…

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Author : Sam Quinn

Publish date : 2024-07-03 16:44:19

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