The Los Angeles Lakers just can't help themselves. They believe they are still a championship-contending franchise and believe everyone wants to align themselves with them.
So two-time defending champion UConn coach Dan Hurley? Sure, he's fair game.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers are set to make a large and lengthy offer to Hurley to become their next coach. So much for the J.J. Redick rumors.
Interestingly, it's been 20 years to the summer since the Lakers tried to pry away Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University. Krzyzewski said thanks but no thanks, and according to Hoops Wire, Hurley is likely to say the same.
"No one is really saying as much, but the Lakers job could be thankless," one source told the outlet. "Dan has a good thing going right where he is."
College coaches tend not to work out in the NBA, though it went OK for former Butler coach Brad Stevens, who went to the Boston Celtics, before eventually becoming their head of basketball operations. But Butler wasn't UConn — as Hurley could potentially become one of college basketball's all-time coaching legends. The Huskies are two-time defending champs.
You want to leave that to go deal with an aging LeBron James, an injury-prone Anthony Davis and a Lakers organization that fires its coaches every two years? James has been in Los Angeles since 2018. He's now on his fourth coach.
So Hurley will probably tell the Lakers to keep their money, and if so, the man could not be blamed.
"Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss are eager to formally discuss with Hurley their vision of marrying his dominant program — built upon his tactical acumen and his elite player development — with the storied Lakers brand," Wojnarowski wrote, citing sources.
Yawn. Keep it moving, LA. Hurley has bigger fish to fry.
