Getty Dan Hurley cuts down the net after winning the national championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers are meeting with UConn head coach Dan Hurley on Friday in Los Angeles for their head coaching job, according to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski on June 6.
Winners of back-to-back national championships, it could be tough to pry Hurley from Connecticut.
However, according to David Borges of CT Insider, the Lakers could offer Hurley $100 million “guaranteed.”
“And what amount of money are we talking about, by the way? The figure of ‘$100,000,000, guaranteed’ has been whispered. Perhaps more,” Borges wrote on June 7. “Assuming Hurley gets somewhere between the $13 million Monty Williams is being paid by Detroit annually and the $17 million that Steve Kerr gets as the NBA’s highest-paid coach, that would likely be for about six or seven years.”
Unless UConn could come up with more than $10 million per year, the offer from the Lakers would likely be a higher figure than what they could offer.
Lakers ‘Have Had Preliminary Contact’ With Dan Hurley: Report
Wojnarowski reported the news on June 6, a report that came as a surprise as there weren’t any rumors about Hurley to the Los Angeles Lakers before that.
According to Wojnarowski, “The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley.”
“The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley and the sides are planning to escalate discussions in the coming days, sources told ESPN,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers’ search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing several other candidates, sources said.”
Hurley told UConn players at practice on June 6 that the Lakers had contacted him and he was listening to what they had to say. According to John Fanta of FOX Sports, Hurley “didn’t want to hide the fact that this is real.”
“Dan Hurley met with his players at UConn this morning and informed them he’s been in talks with the Lakers, a source tells Fox Sports,” Fanta posted on X. “Hurley didn’t want to hide the fact that this is real.”
Fanta also reported that he believes there will be a decision from Hurley sometime in the next 72 hours on June 6.
Hurley’s ‘Sophisticated Offensive Actions’ Have Caught LeBron James’ Attention
In a social media post in April responding to a podcast interview with Hurley and JJ Redick, who’s also a candidate for the Lakers head coaching job, James responded to it about Hurley.
“He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their O! Love it.”
According to Wojnarowski, “James has been impressed with Hurley’s sophisticated offensive actions,” and if they draft Bronny James, Hurley becomes an even more intriguing candidate due to his ability to develop young talent.
“As for the Lakers’ stars, LeBron James has been impressed with Hurley’s sophisticated offensive actions, and assuming he returns to Los Angeles in free agency, the possibility of using the 55th overall draft pick on USC freshman guard Bronny James makes Hurley an even more intriguing candidate,” Wojnarowski wrote.
James has a player option this offseason, making it possible that he hits free agency. However, If he’s a fan of Hurley, that’s another pitch the Lakers could make to keep the superstar around.