Calipari Leaving Kentucky to Coach Lakers?

Was messin' 'round on Sat nite re: Cal. But word is – win or lose 2nite – it's a #DoneDeal …Cal 2 La-La-Land 2 coach Mamba's Lakers. #NoBS

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) April 7, 2014

Rex Chapman, who starred at Kentucky in the 1980s, tweeted that John Calipari to the Los Angeles Lakers is a “done deal” regardless of what happens in tonight’s national championship game between Kentucky and Connecticut.

It’s been rumored for awhile that the Lakers would part ways with Mike D’Antoni after this season and Calipari would be a splashy hire for the franchise given his success at the college level and his relationships with many NBA stars.

Will Calipari leave Kentucky for Los Angeles?

Don’t expect an answer from Coach Cal tonight, he has some other things to worry about like, say, winning a title. But this is definitely something to monitor in the next few weeks.

Calipari last coached in the NBA in the 1998-99 season, when he was the head coach of the New Jersey Nets for two and a half years. During that span, he went 72-112 before being fired. He has been at Kentucky since the start of the 2009-10 season.

UPDATE: The Lakers have refuted this rumor, but that’s expected with Mike D’Antoni still under contract.

Lakers are refuting Calipari to Lakers story put out by Rex Chapman before NCAA tip: GM Mitch Kupchak says "rumor is untrue"

— Chris Dufresne (@DufRankman) April 8, 2014

Kupchak told Laker PR man and related to me through our beat man @Mike_Bresnahan "no conversations about any specific names."

— Chris Dufresne (@DufRankman) April 8, 2014

John Calipari has also shot down this rumor.

Calipari on Lakers: “The Lakers have a basketball coach. I’ve got the best job in the country. I'm not going to even dignify that stuff."

— Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) April 8, 2014