Los Angeles Lakers Next Head Coach Odds: UConn's Hurley Declines Los Angeles' Offer

Reports of the Los Angeles Lakers looking to land Dan Hurley rocked the NBA world, but the UConn coach stated on Monday he's staying put in Connecticut — leading L.A. back to the drawing board.

Kyle LaRusic - Publishing Editor at Covers.com
Kyle LaRusic • Publishing Editor
Jun 10, 2024 • 14:03 ET • 4 min read
Dan Hurley UConn Huskies NBA
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers were set to pull out the purse to make Dan Hurley a very rich man — and the head coach of the historic franchise — but the UConn bench boss declined the offer. 

While no official odds were even offered for Hurley to become L.A.'s next HC, Adrian Wojnarowski's report last Thursday had the basketball world in shambles.

Somewhere, most likely in a podcast studio, JJ Redick is smiling ear-to-ear as he had the best odds to land the job before they were taken off the board.

Back to the drawing board

Lakers fans were excited for the opportunity to land one of college basketball's premier coaches, and why wouldn't they be? Hurley is coming off back-to-back NCAA titles with the Huskies and is in a very rare spot to three-peat at the collegiate level. Ironically, that spot is what most likely caused him to decline the Lakers' generous offer. 

The Lakers are now back to the drawing board, in search of the next man to take hold of a team with such lofty expectations. Redick was last favored before the odds were taken off the board, but one can only assume the position is his to lose now that Hurley is out of the picture.

Los Angeles Lakers next coach odds

Candidates DraftKings
JJ Redick -115
James Borrego +425
Sam Cassell +500
Tyronn Lue +1000
David Adelman +1200
Kenny Atkinson +1200
Monty Williams +3000
Terry Stotts +3500
Juwan Howard +4000
Frank Vogel +4000
Jay Wright +4000
Mark Jackson +5000
Mike D'Antoni +5500
Becky Hammon +7000
Jerry Stackhouse +7500
Chris Quinn +7500
Jared Dudley +8000
Dave Joerger +14000
Adrian Griffin +15000
Royal Ivey +16000
Pau Gasol +20000

Odds as of 5-15 (*off the board on 6-6)

Favorites to become next LA Lakers head coach

J.J. Redick (-115 | 53.49% chance)

Any discussion about the next Lakers coach begins and ends with one thing — how well can they co-exist with LeBron, who has basically been a player/coach/GM for years.

Right now, nobody on this list has a better rapport with 'Bron than Redick, who co-hosts the "Mind the Game" podcast with James; where they both nerd out on basketball Xs and Os and talk about the more technical aspects of the game.

Redick, who also works as an analyst for ESPN, doesn't have any actual coaching experience... but is that necessary when LeBron calls the shots anyway? He gets a smart basketball mind, a close friend of his, and someone who thinks on the same wavelength as him.

James Borrego (+425 | 19.05% chance)
Sam Cassell (+500 | 16.67% chance)

Sources have told The Athletic that, after Redick, the next two primary targets are Borrego and Cassell.

Barrego was a long-time Spurs assistant coach under Gregg Popovich, winning two titles with the organization, who is currently a Pelicans assistant and, with his NBA coaching experience, Adrian Wojnarowski directly called out as a "name to watch."

He doesn't have any direct NBA head coaching experience, but neither does Cassell — although he does bring a higher profile name and NBA playing experience.

Cassell is a 16-year NBA vet and three-time NBA champion, with 15 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach after going directly from player to coach. The long-time point guard would bring a blend of playing and coaching experience, while also having no problem handling the feisty LA media.

A reunion (sort of) in the works?

Tyronn Lue (+1000 | 9.09% chance)

Sometimes it's best to just go with what you know — and the Lakers could opt to do that by hiring Lue, a former Lakers player who is used to coaching in Hollywood... as he's currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Helping Lue's case would be his familiarity with LeBron, as Lue was a coach (first assistant then HC) with the Cavaliers during James' second tour in Ohio, helping lead the franchise to its only NBA Championship in 2016.

Lue isn't officially available as of now, but his head coaching experience plus familiarity with the city — and with the Lakers' star player — make him an interesting option.

Covers Writer Icon

Lakers next coach pick

By Jason Logan

David Adelman
Pick made 5-3

Adelman is one of the most sought-after assistants in the NBA, stacking his resume with championship experience on the Denver Nuggets staff — the team that just so happened to send LeBron & Co. packing the past two postseasons. He has a solid coaching pedigree, passed down from his dad Rick Adelman, and it shows in his blueprint for the Nuggets’ offense.

Another notable name — that’s not on the odds board, however — is newly-retired NBA guard Rajon Rondo. While he hasn’t held a coaching position at the pro or college levels, he’s regarded as one of the smartest players of his generation and got the thumbs up from LeBron himself during James and Redick’s podcast series. Rondo would be able to lean on LeBron as he got his feet wet as an NBA head coach.

As a Lakers fan... I don’t hate this idea.

Los Angeles Lakers Next Head Coach Odds FAQs

Pages related to this topic

Kyle LaRusic - Covers
Publishing Editor

Kyle LaRusic joined Covers in 2020 with a Holland College diploma in Journalism and a Mount Saint Vincent Degree in Public Relations. Stints at Amherst News and the Cape Breton Post helped sharpen his skills in a newsroom setting, while working for MSVU and Dalhousie’s athletic departments landed Kyle in his comfort zone.

Kyle has been an avid bettor for over five years, starting with just one Sports Interaction account before discovering both the beauty and importance of price shopping. bet365 and Pinnacle are his go to books, but accounts at 10+ sportsbooks give him an array of options. “Rusty” will bet on anything under the sun as long as there’s value and good reasoning behind it, but NHL and NFL are his two favorite leagues to watch and wager on — especially with friends.

Kyle’s biggest tip for any bettor is simple: gamble responsibly. Only bet what you’re willing to lose and make sure to install a proper bankroll method to keep track of your ROI. If you’re still dwelling on the amount you lost the next day, it’s time to decrease your spending.

Popular Content

Legal Canadian sports betting

Best Canadian betting sites Ontario sports betting