Dan Hurley will meet with the Los Angeles Lakers this weekend to discuss their head coaching job, but the two sides still have work to do on building a relationship.
“I just think it’s important for the Lakers to try to close this weekend,” said Brian Windhorst on Get Up of the meeting previously reported by Adrian Wojnarowski. “I know that this has momentum as Woj talked about, but it’s been emphasized to me that this is not a done deal. That there is still relationship building and conversations that need to take place that are probably going to take place over the next couple of days.”
While Hurley signed an extension with UConn in June of 2023, he hasn’t signed one following a second consecutive championship. UConn, however, did recently extend Geno Auriemma as head coach of the women’s team. UConn could make Hurley an improved financial offer to entice him to remain as head coach and not leave for the Lakers.
“You know UConn had a chance now to sort of move back,” added Windhorst. “You know, one of the things that didn’t happen in the wake of that second championship, UConn was not able to get a contract extension done with Dan Hurley in these two months that have passed since they won that title. And I’ll point out this week they did get one done with Geno Auriemma, their legendary women’s basketball coach, that’s in place. So now UConn is scrambling trying to improve their offer to give him another option as he weighs what is a certainly a lucrative offer from the Lakers.”
Windhorst also referenced comments from Hurley talking about his extension talks with UConn and that the school has a window to keep him.