Sources: Lakers, Hurley to satisfy Friday about task
Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPNJun 6, 2024, 10:36 PM ET UConn coach Dan Hurley is taking a trip to Southern California for a Friday conference with Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss– with the organization excited to close on a deal to hire the two-time national championship coach, sources told ESPN on Thursday.The Lakers’pursuit of Hurley to end up being the franchise’s next coach has accelerated and the sides are already talking about the legal parameters of a potential offer that would be significant in its length and salary, sources said.Hurley has actually not decided about exiting UConn for
the NBA, however there is momentum in these discussions, sources said.Hurley notified UConn’s administration on Wednesday of his interest in speaking with the Lakers– and his players of the talks on Thursday, sources said.Editor’s Picks 1 Related UConn has actually won back-to-back NCAA titles– including a record 12 straight double-digit tournament
triumphes
— and has a leading 5 group returning next season.Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers ‘search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has actually done its due diligence talking to a number of other prospects, sources stated. Just New Orleans assistant James Borrego had two in-person interviews in Los Angeles, sources said.Pelinka and Buss are eager to formally go over with Hurley their vision of marrying his dominant program– built upon his tactical acumen and elite player development– with the storied Lakers brand name, sources
said.Hurley, 51, has actually often explained his aspiration to one day coach in the NBA and has revealed to the Lakers a desire to check out the complete picture of a collaboration with one of basketball’s winningest franchises, sources said.The pursuit of
Hurley begins the 20th anniversary of the Lakers attempting to hire Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to a record-breaking agreement in 2004. Krzyzewski elected to remain at Duke, but the environment has considerably changed in college athletics, and
the needs of NIL fundraising for non-power-football schools such as UConn are a particularly relentless grind– and expected to become much more difficult.As for the Lakers’ stars, LeBron James has actually been impressed with Hurley’s advanced offending actions, and assuming he returns to L.A. in free firm, the possibility of utilizing the 55th total draft tease USC freshman guard Bronny James makes Hurley a lot more interesting prospect.
If that occurs, James gets a possibility to play with his boy and the benefit of Hurley and his personnel becoming accountable for Bronny’s pro development.In a social media post responding to a podcast interview with JJ Redick, James published on the social networks platform X about Hurley:”He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! In addition to his personnel. Super innovative with their( offense). Love it.”The Lakers have actually been dedicated to making All-NBA forward Anthony Davis a substantial part of the discussion on the next head coach and want to ensure that he’s lined up with how a new coach strategies to include him on offense and defense, sources said.The Lakers have actually continued with discussions with other prospects over the past few weeks, but the potential of landing Hurley has been the focus of their search, sources said.Part of the attraction of Hurley traces back to the altering landscape of NBA lineup structure under the cumulative bargaining contract. Due to the fact that of the roster-building limitations of
the new second apron, the capability of big-market teams to build contending rosters by trading several draft choices and young players for a third star player has mainly been eliminated.
Beyond the 21st overall choice in the June draft, the Lakers have a young core of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Max Christie that management thinks might reveal even greater enhancement under Hurley’s coaching, sources said.After traditionally dominant back-to-back national title seasons, Hurley has emerged as the most coveted coach in the sport– and the possibility of him leaving UConn and the Big East Conference for the Lakers has massive ramifications for college basketball and the NBA. Hurley has actually constructed a juggernaut that has lapped the sport– culminating with the NCAA’s first repeat champion in 17 years and a performance that produced the greatest point differential in tournament history– 140 points.The possibility of UConn winning a 3rd straight title does loom with the return of a preseason top-five group, but the Huskies did lose 2 lotto choices(center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Castle )and a first-team All-American point guard (Tristan Newton) to the NBA draft.The Lakers dismissed coach Darvin Ham after a first-round exit in the Western Conference playoffs. Ham was 94-70 in 2 seasons, consisting of a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2023. Hurley is 141-58 (.709)in six seasons as the UConn coach. The child of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr.– for whom Hurley played for at famous St. Anthony High School of Jersey City, New Jersey– Dan Hurley spent 9 years as a high school coach at St. Benedict’s Prep before quickly reconstructing college programs at Wagner and Rhode Island. His older bro, Bobby, is the head coach at Arizona State.