The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley as a candidate for their head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Connecticut’s Dan Hurley to become the franchise’s next coach and are preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to bring the back-to-back national champion to the NBA, sources tell ESPN,” Wojnarowski posted to X Thursday morning.
Hurley, who’s been working with UConn on a new contract since leading the program to a second consecutive national title this spring, turned down a reported pursuit from Kentucky after the departure of John Calipari this offseason. Now one of the most coveted coaches in the sport, Hurley said after UConn’s April 13 championship parade that he has “no desire to coach college basketball anywhere else.”
“Maybe down the road, you hope you can mature enough emotionally to, much later in my career, try to take a shot at the NBA – down the road, way down the road – but I’m not gonna coach anywhere else in college,” he added that day.
The Lakers, who dismissed second-year head coach Darvin Ham after their first round exit in the Western Conference playoffs, are hoping to shorten that road with a “massive, long-term contract offer,” according to Wojnarowski’s report.
“The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley and the sides are planning to escalate discussions in the coming days, sources told ESPN. Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers’ search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing several other candidates, sources said,” Wojnarowski reported.
Shams Charania, an NBA insider for The Athletic, reported Tuesday that the Lakers were “zeroing in” on ESPN analyst JJ Redick, who had a 15-year NBA career, as the front-runner for the job.
According to Charania, the Lakers’ search “has been seriously focused on” Redick and James Borrego, the associate head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, over the last couple of weeks. The Athletic also reported current NBA assistants Sam Cassell (Boston Celtics), Chris Quinn (Miami Heat), Micah Nori (Minnesota Timberwolves) and David Adelman (Denver Nuggets) have interviewed for the opening.
“Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss are eager to formally discuss with Hurley their vision of marrying his dominant program – built upon both his tactical acumen and elite player development – with the storied Lakers brand, sources said,” according to Wojnarowski’s report, which noted that Hurley “has expressed to the Lakers a desire to explore the full picture of a partnership with one of basketball’s winningest franchises, sources said.”
Lakers superstar LeBron James has expressed his fondness for Hurley and his style in recent months. After Hurley appeared on JJ Redick’s podcast, ‘The Old Man and the Three,’ and discussed where he gets some of his offensive concepts, James posted on X, “He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their O! Love it.”
He’s so DAMN GOOD!!! Along with his staff. Super creative with their O! Love it
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 19, 2024
The Lakers fired former head coach Darvin Ham after a first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
