Dan Hurley is going to be staying in college basketball after turning down a massive offer from the Los Angeles Lakers. Hurley has been the main target for the Lakers since firing Darvin Ham, but they were unable to land their top choice.
The Lakers offered Hurley a six-year deal worth $70 million, and that would have made him the sixth-highest-paid coach in the NBA. Instead, Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers’ Offer and choose to stay with the Storrs, Connecticut and will attempt to lead the Huskies to a third-straight title.
Having made his choice, Hurley released a statement expressing his gratitude for the opportunity. Hurley flew to Los Angeles to meet with the team, but then went back home to come to a final decision with his wife.
UConn was looking to make Hurley the highest-paid coach in the country, and the two sides will now continue those talks. Los Angeles has been trying to find a coach that would keep LeBron James and Anthony Davis happy, and also someone that can lead them for years to come.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont celebrated the decision by Hurley to remain in Storrs, and it’s a move that will have a huge impact on the college basketball landscape. The Lakers pulled out all of the stops in their attempt to lure Hurley to Los Angeles, but they just weren’t able to complete the deal.
This is not the first time that the Lakers have attempted to hire a college coach as they attempted the same thing with Coach K 20 years ago. The Lakers let go of Ham following the season’s conclusion. He finished his two-year tenure with a 94-70 record.
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Huskies Going to Be Great
The UConn Huskies are expected to be a preseason top-five team, despite losing three key players to the NBA Draft. Alex Karaban has announced that he is returning to Storrs, and he is going to be loaded with talent yet again.
UConn has absolutely dominated opponents in the NCAA Tournament, posting the highest point-differential ever a season ago. Hurley has posted a record of 141-58 as head coach of the UConn Huskies in six seasons, including back-to-back championships.
He’s lauded for both building a strong roster and fostering player development. Hurley has put together a tremendous coaching staff, and that group of coaches is going to remain intact yet again.
If Hurley were to leave UConn then it would have sent a chain reaction that would have impacted the entire sport. Players would have had 30 days to transfer, and the top programs would have been lining up for those players.
The news that Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers’ Offer was seen as a positive development for the sport of college basketball, but it’s a huge loss for the Lakers.
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What’s Next For Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to go back to the drawing board, and their top choice is now off of the table. Los Angeles was once rumored to be looking at J.J. Redick, but they never seriously moved forward with that plan.
The Lakers are also going to be in a tough spot moving forward as other candidates are going to know what they offered Hurley. They are not going to hand that money out to anyone, but there are some other interesting candidates on the table.
The Los Angeles Lakers have identified James Borrego, currently an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans, as a potential candidate for their head coaching vacancy. Los Angeles could also target another college coach as they have done a good job of keeping things a secret. And now the Front office will need to rebuild with the headliner: Dan Hurley Rejects Lakers’ Offer!
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