With rumblings about Jeanie Buss and the LA Lakers ownership not being as financially sound as other league owners, the Purple and Gold faithful wonder whether the Buss family should sell the team. Despite boasting a $700 million net worth, as per Celebrity Net Worth, Jeanie’s choices over the past few years haven’t represented what the Lakers brand stands for.

LA hasn’t hired a highly coveted coach since the Phil Jackson era, which ended in 2011. Their latest attempt at one such candidate came in the form of back-to-back NCAA championship-winning coach, UConn’s Dan Hurley.

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers reportedly offered him a six-year, $70 million contract, which he rejected to return to college basketball and pursue a record third consecutive national title. While that seemed like a bumper contract for a first-time coach, it wasn’t close to what the Lakers’ rival teams’ coaches have made.

Some reports say the Lakers also undervalued the offer, ideally supposed to be around $100 million, which may have swayed Hurley’s decision. In 2019, when the Lakers pursued Ty Lue, they offered him a three-year, $18 million contract, eventually leading to negotiations falling apart and the Lakers signing Frank Vogel.

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The Lakers also let Alex Caruso walk in the 2021 free agency after the Russell Westbrook addition. Some of these calls have led to NBA Twitter pondering if the Lakers are “cheap” and if the ownership should consider selling the team. Most Purple and Gold fans were in agreement with that sentiment, as one fan called out the “nepotism” factor, saying:

“1000%, nepotism has ruined the Lakers.”

Another fan added she wasn’t an upgrade over her brother Jim, who had control over the Lakers before:

“She’s not much of a step up from Jim as an owner”

One fan not only called for Jeanie Buss to step down but also asked for GM Rob Pelinka to move on:

“Jeanie buss and Rob Pelinka off my team”

One fan called her “terrible”:

“Yes she is a terrible owner”

Lakers need better decisiveness from Jeanie Buss and front office

The new CBA is such that it allows the less rich owners and smaller market teams to stay relevant and competent. So, if the Lakers decide to be “cheap” with some adjustments to ensure they have the best roster, it is seemingly fine, as the teams with loaded owners are also capped.

However, the Lakers need to be better on other fronts and act like the brand they are. It needs to start with Jeanie Buss and the front office being more decisive and stubborn.

The Dan Hurley saga sums up LA’s woes from an ownership perspective. The Lakers should have ideally offered a better deal than what they already did, despite it being relatively comparable to what other top coaches are earning.

However, the Lakers are left searching for a backup option, with only a few weeks left for the draft.