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[Saba Sports News] The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly aiming to hire the hottest head coach in college basketball.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the Lakers are preparing a massive long-term contract offer for UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley. The Lakers have targeted Hurley since the start of their head coach search, and the two sides have had preliminary discussions about a deal.
Hurley has led UConn to back-to-back national championships and is the most coveted coach in college basketball. He has already turned down a prominent collegiate job.
After UConn won its second straight national title in April, Hurley stated he only wants to coach college basketball in Storrs but did not rule out coaching in the NBA “way down the road.”
If Hurley is interested in coaching in the NBA, it may be hard to turn down arguably the league’s most prestigious job. Wojnarowski reports that the Lakers believe Hurley is the best candidate to navigate the roster-building limitations of the current collective bargaining agreement. They also feel Hurley can help develop their young core of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Max Christie.
It likely helps that LeBron James, who can decline his $51 million player option and become a free agent this summer, has expressed his support for Hurley.