Dan Hurley in discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers

The UConn men’s basketball program’s offseason of great vibes, driven by consecutive championships and big wins on the recruiting trail, was interrupted by the possibility that head coach Dan Hurley could leave for the NBA.

While Hurley’s potential departure was understood as a standard concern after two straight titles, the fact that he turned down significant reported interest from Kentucky right after the college season ended made it seem like Hurley would be in Storrs for a while.

That was the case until Thursday morning when ESPN broke the news that Hurley is about to receive an offer from the LA Lakers, who are reportedly determined to bring him on board. This news comes one day after Shams Charania reported that former Duke star and longtime NBA player JJ Redick was the favorite. 

Since then, Storrs Central reported on the better Get Us Now board that Hurley met with the team to confirm this news ahead of their noon practice. This was also reported by FOX Sports’ John Fanta. The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil reported that the situation should reach a resolution by the end of the weekend. The team has held four practices thus far.

Hurley briefly discussed the ongoing process of his contract extension at the Coaches Roadshow on Wednesday night, saying that he’s “more worried about” recruiting and scheduling than his contract extension, which is in progress.

“There’s a business side of it,” he said. “It’s a high-pressure job...it’s a total commitment, a lot suffers because of it,” he said. “You also have a market as a coach when you’ve accomplished a lot of things.”

Hurley has previously said that the NBA may interest him down the road, so it’s understandable that he’d listen when one of the most famous sports teams of all time comes calling, especially in the middle of contract negotiations. If he leaves, the players on the roster have 30 days to transfer out. UConn would have to find a replacement outside of the regular coaching cycle as well.