Lakers’ top target turns down coaching job
The Los Angeles Lakers thought they might have a new coach on Monday, but the frontrunner has decided to stay in his current job.
University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley, fresh off back-to-back national championships, decided against jumping to the NBA, as reported by NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Connecticut’s Dan Hurley has turned down the Los Angeles Lakers’ six-year, $70 million offer and will return to chase a third straight national title, sources tell ESPN. LA would’ve made him one of NBA’s six highest paid coaches,” Woj wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Hurley had been on the fence about the team, telling Woj that “he left ‘extremely impressed’ with Lakers VP and GM Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss and had been spending Sunday weighing what sources tell ESPN is a massive, long-term offer to move to the NBA,” Woj wrote Sunday.
With Hurley out of the running, another possible option is New Orleans Pelicans assistant James Borrego, the only candidate to interview twice in person in L.A., Woj reproted.
Lakers star LeBron James has pushed for former NBA player and current analyst JJ Redick, who co-hosts a podcast with James and remains “a viable candidate,” The Athletic reports.
The Lakers are looking to replace former coach Darvin Ham, who was fired after this past season. Ham recently agreed to be the top assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Will Conybeare and Travis Schlepp contributed to this report.
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