Lakers Rumors: LA Prepared to Pay Dan Hurley Insane Salary?

This is a bold move.

Apr 13, 2024; Hartford, CT, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley speaks to a large crowd of fans outside the XL Center after the team's victory parade. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers spoke with Connecticut Huskies coach Dan Hurley on Friday about their head coaching vacancy. Hurley is expected to make a decision regarding the gig as soon as Monday.

One element that was floated to sweeten the pot is an absolutely outrageous rumored salary offer. Per John Fanta of Fox Sports and Anthony F. Irwin of Lakers Daily, Los Angeles might have tendered a deal in the range of a whopping $100 million.

“I have it on good authority the Lakers are offering him (Hurley) $100 million guaranteed,” Fanta told Sirius XM's Zach Gelb on his program "The Zach Gelb Show." Irwin reports that it could be a seriously long-term contract, in the range of eight seasons.

Given that none of the six Lakers head coaches since Phil Jackson departed in 2011 has lasted more than three seasons, this feels like a bold, very confident move. Yes, Hurley is coming off consecutive NCAA championship seasons with UConn, but it's inherently risky to extend so much long-term money (allegedly) to a first-time NBA head coach.

Hiring Hurley is the kind of splashy gesture that this writer, for one, wasn't expecting the club to make, given that most of the other folks Los Angeles team president Rob Pelinka has interviewed have been in the assistant range, meaning they'd be fairly cost effective options.

Hurley has led the Huskies to a 141-58 overall record and postseason appearances in four of his six seasons with the program. Last year, he guided the club to a 37-3 overall record en route to an absolutely dominant March Madness run. He's a talented collegiate coach and a quality scouter of talent, but will that all translate at the next level?

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