Hmmmm.....
""One of the worst takes I've heard is that this is a leverage play by me to improve my situation at UConn," Hurley said on the show. "I don't need leverage here. We've won back-to-back national championships at this place. This was never a leverage situation for me.
"I've had a contract in place here for a couple of weeks. And the final part, in terms of salary, has been done for a while. There are some other parts, like NIL and staff salary and some different things, that I want adjusted and I'm not comfortable with. But the sense of the idea that this was some conspiracy to get me a sweeter deal at UConn is just, it's lazy.""
Well, if true (I think the first paragraph makes sense) then it points to the "dumpster fire" theory.
Later in the interview (Dan Le Batard show) Hurley does admit that there is obviously a number the Lakers could have thrown at him where he would have had no choice.....but he does say it woulda had to have been high, and that the $$$ wasn't the motivating factor (I mean....it was more than the UConn offer....and there is no mention of any back and forth. Sounds like he got the offer....sat on it for the weekend, and told them no).
So for me....the offer the Lakers gave was better. Unless I hear that he wanted $80, or something, and was told no....I have no reason to believe there were negotiations that fell short. And so then we tackle the leverage issue. I gotta agree with him: back to back titles.....this guy had all the leverage he needed already. Unless he's flat-out lying....which in today's world, you know is gonna come back to bite you. He's no fool, and doesn't need to fabricate something that can be easily fact-checked. I get there are politics, and people keep things to the vest, and there's prob 
SOME leverage being played...even if unintentional. But I think the idea that this was a leverage play, is really just unnecessary on his part, and he'd a be fool to cite something that can be disproved, or even just contested so easily.
So I'm left with him taking less money to stay at UConn, and pass on the Lakers.....because that had the bigger appeal. 
Could there be family.....a feeling like he owed some of the kids to return? Sure. I get it's a hard decision. You got your staff, and all that.....there's a million little things. But this was a 6-year deal with the 
Lakers, and for more $$$. I feel like this sells itself. There musta been some "un-selling" at that meeting.
Oh well.....I guess it's on to JJ. SMH