Dan Hurley’s candidacy stunned some inside Lakers, but it surely is sensible TERMAN WEBSITE

The gorgeous information of the Los Angeles Lakers and Connecticut coach Dan Hurley being involved in regards to the Lakers’ head teaching emptiness shocked many within the NBA — and a few contained in the franchise’s personal partitions.

The group’s courting of Hurley, first reported by ESPN and confirmed Thursday by The Athletic through group and league sources, was saved secret from the general public and even a number of key Lakers decision-makers.

Inside some inner conversations, Hurley’s identify started arising as just lately as final week, group and league sources advised The Athletic. On the time, the chance of Hurley’s being the group’s subsequent head coach appeared farfetched. JJ Redick, the ESPN analyst and former participant, was seen because the frontrunner by many within the NBA and Lakers group, and likewise into account was James Borrego, the New Orleans Pelicans’ affiliate coach who has maintained a robust relationship with All-NBA massive man Anthony Davis.

Now, Hurley, who led Connecticut to back-to-back nationwide championships, has emerged as a legit candidate, if not the favourite.

Group and league sources cautioned that the teaching search stays removed from settled. Lakers vice chairman of basketball operations and basic supervisor Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss will interview Hurley in a extra formal method on Friday, league sources confirmed. There’s nonetheless an opportunity the 51-year-old will work out a brand new contract with Connecticut and stay school basketball’s high coach. Hurley signed a six-year, $32.1 million cope with Connecticut after the 2023 championship season. His buyout to affix the NBA can be roughly $1.9 million.

Redick, thought-about the front-runner for weeks, stays a viable candidate, in response to league sources.

Hurley’s profile appeals to the Lakers. He checks most of the containers the Lakers have been in search of throughout this course of. He’s considered a tireless employee who’s each organized and disciplined. He’s a confirmed tactician, operating the most effective offenses in school basketball. He helped return UConn to glory after this system went almost a decade with out advancing previous the second spherical of the NCAA Event. He’s additionally sharp with participant growth and is called a robust culture-setter with a fiery persona.

It’s unclear how Los Angeles’ stars really feel in regards to the potential of Hurley because the group’s coach. Davis’ enter has been on the middle of the Lakers’ search, and he has a strong rapport with Borrego, who he overlapped with briefly in New Orleans. James tweeted his assist of Hurley’s offensive system in April — paradoxically in response to an interview between Redick and Hurley on Redick’s “Previous Man & The Three” podcast. James has a $51.4 million participant choice for subsequent season.

Legendary former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who, in response to a number of sources, has turn out to be a revered unofficial advisor to the Lakers through the hiring course of, has a robust relationship with Hurley. Krzyzewski coached Hurley’s older brother, Bobby, at Duke from 1989 to 1993, profitable back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992. Again in March, Dan Hurley stated that Krzyzewski pushed him to take the UConn job in 2018 and that the 2 communicate a minimum of twice yearly.

Although Krzyzewski additionally has ties to Redick, who performed beneath him at Duke from 2002 to 2006, his relationship with Hurley and the idea he has proven in him has been one of many many elements within the course of that has led the Lakers to aggressively pursue him, in response to group and league sources.

Krzyzewski’s historical past with the Lakers goes again to 2004, when then-owner Dr. Jerry Buss made a robust provide to rent him away from Duke, which was in the end unsuccessful. The Lakers tried to lure Krzyzewski with a five-year, $40 million contract, which was an astronomical determine for a coach on the time. The market has since reset with coaches reminiscent of Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, Monty Williams and Mike Budenholzer commanding eight-figure annual contracts.

Time will inform if historical past repeats itself with Hurley additionally returning to UConn on the next wage or if he finally ends up accepting a profitable provide to go away Storrs, Conn., to teach one of many NBA’s legacy franchises throughout the nation. Regardless of the shock of Thursday’s developments, the most recent curveball has but to resolve the Lakers’ ongoing teaching search.