Hawkins to Pelicans, Jackson to Bucks
The Story: Jordan Hawkins became the latest UConn lottery pick as he was selected with the 14th pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Draft last night. Teammate Andre Jackson was taken with the 36th pick and will join the Milwaukee Bucks, and Adama Sanogo went undrafted but signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls after the draft ended.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Hawkins proved Dan Hurley correct in his preseason prediction that his star sophomore would be a first-round pick. Hawkins will now be tasked with playing alongside Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
• This is a great spot for Hawkins as the Pelicans are primed, if Williamson is healthy, to be a playoff team. They have two All-Star talents, a veteran guard in C.J. McCollum and now a shooter in Hawkins.
WHAT DID HAWKINS SAY? “It’s been the best year of my life. I’m about to play in the NBA. I mean, that’s crazy. Not many people get to say that. I’m blessed.”
HURLEY MAKES AN APPEARANCE! It was nice of ESPN to interview the national championship-winning coach on its live telecast. We’re happy to say he’s the only coach who got some air time.
JACKSON GOES: Jackson was taken early in the second round by the Orlando Magic, who will send him to the Bucks as part of a trade. We love the fit for Jackson because he’s a non-scorer who will fit with the NBA title contenders because they need cheap, athletic and versatile players who can get the ball to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Also, he got off the phone with the Bucks and the first person he hugged was Hurley.
SANOGO THE LAST ONE: Sanogo, the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament, was not selected and instead will link up with the Bulls. Does it make sense to us that he wasn’t drafted? No. He’s a small center. We get it. But there are not 58 players in the draft who are better than him. He’ll try to earn his spot in the Summer League.
OUR TAKE: UConn is slowly building that NBA pipeline again. James Bouknight, Tyrese Martin and now at least two more players who competed under Hurley are professionals. With Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton, Alex Karaban and freshman Stephon Castle all potential draft picks next year, the pro future looks bright. UConn has a national title under its belt, the NBA prospects are back, and Hurley has it rolling in Storrs.
Hurley Rewarded With Big Contract
The Story: Dan Hurley is going to be in Storrs for at least the near term as he has agreed to a new six-year, $32.1 million contract.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Hurley didn’t sign an extension. Athletic director Dave Benedict ripped up his old deal and signed Hurley to a completely new contract that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball at north of $5 million a year.
• Hurley has a base salary of $400,000 and then gets plenty of other supplemental income — about $4.1 million per year.
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “I think UConn sees in me somebody that is going to be able to keep the program at an elite level, and I see UConn as a place where I can keep it at an elite level. When they hired me from Rhode Island, I felt a real sense of duty to perform the job and run the program at the level it deserves. So, it’s an honor. I understand the responsibility, and it’s an unbelievable commitment.”
WHAT ARE THE OUTS? Hurley is under contract for six years. If UConn fires him without cause, he will be due plenty of his salary.
• If Hurley were to leave UConn in 2023-24, he would owe $10 million, with the number decreasing annually to $7.5 million (2024-25), $3 million (2025-26), $2 million (2026-27) and $1 million (2027-28).
• If Hurley goes to the NBA, it’s a little easier of a buyout. He’ll owe $2.5 million over the next year and that money will decrease every year after.
BOTTOM LINE: UConn has a deficit of over $40 million yearly, so whenever you become one of the two highest-paid people in the state, it’s going to come under scrutiny. We get that UConn says Hurley’s salary will largely come from other sources, but the truth of the matter is if UConn accepts any institutional funds to bridge its budget, state taxpayers are picking up a portion of that tab.
• What do we say to that? It’s fine. We want a basketball team that competes at the highest level. That comes with a cost, and UConn has decided to remain in the national discussion, so it’s worth paying.
Top photo: Jordan Hawkins goes up for a layup in the Big East quarterfinal win over Providence at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
