Dan Hurley turning down the Lakers job makes sense once you realize it's the worst job in the NBA

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Goooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win! Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.

Dan Hurley spurning the Lakers’ reported 6-year, $70 million offer initially shocked my system on Monday.

I simply cannot envision a scenario in which I would ever turn down $70 million. And look — I know people are making the case that the Lakers “low-balled” Hurley here. I get it. He wouldn’t be the highest-paid head coach in the league.

But, at $11.6 million annually, he’d be the 5th highest-paid coach in the league after Monty Williams. For a guy with no NBA head coaching experience, that’s a pretty good salary. Could the Lakers have paid him more? Sure. But that’s not a “lowball” offer by any means.

I don’t think this is about the money at all. From everything reported over the last 24 hours, this was Hurley simply weighing the job he’d keep staying at UConn vs. the job he’d take coaching the Lakers and choosing the former.

Hurley is interested in winning a third straight national championship with UConn, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Sure, he may never get another offer from the Lakers again. But probably he’ll never get a chance to achieve that again, either. It’s already extremely rare and Hurley’s got a legit shot to do that.

That’s what you’ve got in one hand. In the other? You might have the worst head coaching job in the NBA.

Taking the Lakers job just isn’t as appealing as you might think. Even once you wrap your head around the prospect of coaching LeBron James (which is cool but also always seems very stressful), you’ve got a situation that looks like this:

• Your best player (LeBron James) is a 40-year-old veteran and will likely be a free agent this summer
• Your second-best player (Anthony Davis) has spent most of his career being injury-prone
• Behind them, the rest of the roster is mostly just blah. There’s nothing to build around.
• While the draft cupboard isn’t bare anymore, the Lakers have no control over a first-round draft pick in 2025 (AD trade) or 2027 (Russell Westbrook trade)

There will be a hard transition somewhere along that timeline without the proper tools to make it a smooth one. Even if the Lakers did have the tools, Hurley isn’t the one manning the controls. That’s Rob Pelinka’s job.

Compare that to Hurley’s job at UConn, where he’s already in complete control of his roster, and things begin to make sense. It’s not just that the UConn job is enticing — it’s also the reality that the Lakers one just isn’t. Not as much as most people think it is, anyway.

The Lakers will eventually hire a head coach. Maybe it’ll be JJ Redick. Maybe it’ll be an NBA assistant itching to be the lead on someone’s bench or a former head coach trying to get back into the saddle. I’m not sure.

But, regardless of who it is, that person will probably have the toughest job in the NBA.

Evan Rodrigues plays the hero

The Stanley Cup Finals are far from over, sure. But it doesn’t feel like we’re in for a long series, does it?

The Panthers dominated Game 2 with a 4-1 route on Edmonton. Evan Rodrigues blew things open this time with two straight goals to break a 1-1 tie in the third period, including this beauty.

THERE GOES THAT MAN pic.twitter.com/WXUXf9RKxk

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 11, 2024

He has now scored three goals in the series through two games and has made 100 percent of his shots. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have yet to score a goal in this series.

That’s what this all boils down to: The Oilers’ stars aren’t playing like stars. Meanwhile, the Panthers are getting a little bit extra from everyone. Florida has been the better team through two games.

Again, the series isn’t over yet. Edmonton has to play on its home ice. But, man. Things certainly aren’t looking good right now.

The NCAA might be cooked, part 872

We’ve got yet another case to keep our eyes on for the NCAA, folks.

Ten members of NC State’s 1983 NCAA national championship team are suing the NCAA for unauthorized use of their name, image and likeness rights, Jenna West of The Athletic reports.

The players include Mike Warren, Thurl Bailey, Cozell McQueen, Walter Proctor, Harold Thompson, Tommy DiNardo, Walt Densmore, Terry Gannon, George McClain and Alvin Battle.

Here’s more from West:

For those of you who don’t know, this team was Jim Valvano’s infamous Cardiac Pack. They are the premier Cinderella Story you always hear about when it’s NCAA tournament time, and because of that, they’re often used to promote the tournament. These former players say that’s happening without their permission and they haven’t received a dime for it.

This is a huge deal. The extension of NIL rights after athletes leave college has long been a sensitive topic. Here, the Cardiac Pack is attacking it directly.

If they succeed? Well, they won’t be the last former NCAA athletes coming back for what they’re owed.

Quick hits: Caitlin Clark’s worst moment … Don’t bet on the Mavs getting swept

— Here’s Meg Hall with more on Caitlin Clark’s awful performance against the Connecticut Sun. That floater has to be a low point for her.

— Prince Grimes says the Dallas Mavericks are on the ropes but it’s not time to count them out just yet. 

— Never talk trash to Michael Jordan. Xander Schauffle learned that the hard way. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky on the latest NBA mock draft from USA Today

— Charles Barkley on hockey? Sign me up. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.

— Warren Foegele should proooobably be suspended after this one. Here’s Mary Clarke with more.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading TMW today. Check back in tomorrow for more! Peace.

-Sykes