Last week, the Lakers made headlines when they tried to hire Dan Hurley as their new head coach, but he decided to stay at UConn.
JJ Redick has emerged as a top candidate for the Lakers despite his lack of coaching experience. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Redick will get his first formal interview soon, with the team aiming to hire someone before the NBA Draft.
Redick’s Coaching Aspirations
Redick has already interviewed with the Hornets and expressed his eagerness to return to the NBA as a coach during an appearance on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “I am currently a broadcaster and a podcast host of multiple podcasts and really just enjoying those things,” he said. He admitted there’s still a small part of him that misses playing basketball.
Channing Frye’s Advice
Channing Frye advised Redick against taking the Lakers job, calling it a “death sentence.” He explained, “You’re jumping in and not only coaching in the NBA when you haven’t ever done that before, but you’re also coaching Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, and LeBron James.”
Fans think this is going to be very interesting.
Dan Hurley’s Decision
Hurley considered leaving UConn despite signing an extension last year. However, he turned down a six-year, $70 million offer from the Lakers. In his statement after rejecting the offer, Hurley said he’s proud of what they’ve built at Connecticut and wants to focus on improving over summer workouts.
UConn’s Director of Athletics David Benedict expressed relief at Hurley’s decision: “We thrilled that Dan Hurley has made the decision to stay at UConn.”
