NBA analyst argues that Dan Hurley is better fit for Cavs than Lakers

Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard offered an interesting take on University Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley, who has been connected to the Los Angeles Lakers for their head coach opening this offseason.

Broussard suggested that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be a better fit for Hurley than L.A. because they are a younger team that hasn’t accomplished as much as LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers.

“Now look, Hurley is a phenomenal coach,” Broussard said. “I mean, he’s awesome. No if, ands or buts about it. He is awesome. I’m just not sure this is the right NBA fit for him. And I talked to some people today in the league, who felt the same way I do. And I’m not saying he would go there, but a Cleveland, where they’re a little younger, they haven’t really done much yet. Donovan Mitchell’s there obviously, but teams like that.”

Hurley has led UConn to back-to-back national titles in the last two seasons, bringing the program back to the forefront of college basketball.

While it’s fair to wonder how Hurley would fare coaching superstars like James or Davis, there are questions for him no matter where he lands.

For the Cavs, the question would be whether or not Mitchell would want to play for Hurley. The Cavs may not want to completely base their next head coach off of Mitchell’s desires, but it certainly has to be a factor.

Mitchell, a five-time All-Star, is eligible for an extension this offseason. If he doesn’t agree to a deal, the Cavs may have to explore trading him since he can opt out of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024-25 season.

It’s also unclear if Hurley would entertain a team like the Cavs or if he would simply be content remaining at UConn. When it comes to the Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports, it’s a little more understandable why Hurley would consider leaving the program he’s dominated with at the collegiate level.

Hurley has led the Huskies to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and he also earned two berths to the tournament during his time at the University of Rhode Island before he took the UConn job ahead of the 2018-19 season.

The Cavs moved on from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after they lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs this season.

Cleveland steadily improved under Bickerstaff, making the play-in tournament in the 2021-22 season before earning back-to-back playoff berths as the No. 4 seed in each of the last two seasons.

Bickerstaff led the Cavs to their first playoff series win without James since the 1992-93 season.

It’ll be interesting to see who the Cavs choose as their next head coach with Mitchell’s long-term Cavs future up in the air this offseason.