Lakers News: Major LA Decision-Makers Didn’t Know About Dan Hurley Pursuit

It appears not everyone in Los Angeles was on the same page with its now-bungled attempts to lure away the UConn champ.

Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley cuts the basketball net winning the Men's NCAA national championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY

It appears not all of the Los Angeles Lakers' key decision-makers were on the same page with the team's now-botched attempts to lure away University of Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley this offseason.

Even before the news broke that Hurley would return to UConn in an effort to lead the Huskies to an incredibly rare three-peat NCAA championship run next spring, shunning a reported six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers, it was revealed by Jovan Buha of The Athletic that the news of L.A.'s bid for Hurley was a surprise for even some critical members of the team's own organization.

Buha reveals that Hurley first became a serious candidate for Los Angeles two weeks ago, per Lakers and NBA sources. ESPN commentator and former 15-year NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick had been considered the favorite to land the gig (and presumably is now the favorite once again, in the aftermath of Hurley's decison), while New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach and former Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic head coach James Borrego, who supposedly has a strong bond with All-Star Los Angeles center Anthony Davis, was seen as the other main contender for the job.

It's stunning that not everyone who needed to know about Hurley actually did know before the public, and one has to wonder why the communication about this was so shrouded in secrecy ahead of the world being made aware of the Lakers' interest. Hopefully there will be more internal transparency from here on out.

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