Insider predicts Dan Hurley will turn down Lakers offer, history repeats itself
The L.A. Lakers shocked the world with an early morning report from Adrian Wojnarowski saying they were very close to hiring University of Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley. However, one college basketball insider is "guessing" that the two-time national title winner will stay at UConn as "when the Lakers call, you listen but at the end of the day" you make the same decision coach K did in the mid-2000s with the same franchise.
I'm old enough to remember when Mike Krzyzewski had Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak at his home in Durham as he pondered a $40 million offer to be head coach. When the Lakers call, you listen, but at the end of the day I'm guessing Dan Hurley makes the same decision to stay in college.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) June 6, 2024
The Lakers were seemingly set to hire JJ Redick before this morning when out of nowhere Woj announced that the Lakers were "accelerating talks" with Dan Hurley. The NBA insider seemed to say that the Lakers were close to hiring Hurley but reports have cooled with the title-winning coach possibly staying at UConn. With this college basketball insider thinking Hurley will stay at UConn, it's worth wondering if the head coach will go to L.A. or continue his current job on the East Coast.
Will Dan Hurley stay at UConn or go to L.A to coach the Lakers?
Even though no one outside Hurley's camp knows if the head coach will stay at UConn, one could assume that he will likely wait for a counteroffer from the school. The coach did not receive a new contract extension after winning his second title in as many seasons which is honestly quite fair since he signed a new six-year, $32 million contract after winning the title the year before.
Still, Hurley could end up on the Lakers' sideline since the coach has reportedly always had NBA "aspirations." Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer noted this morning that the head coach could also receive "over $10M annually" from the Lakers. It's also likely that the majority of this money will be guaranteed since the coach is leaving a situation where management is assumingly happy with him (winning two straight national titles probably gives a coach a lot of legroom).
This will probably come down to whether Hurley wants a new challenge or not. After winning two straight college basketball national titles, the coach is already a legend at UConn and around the college basketball world.
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