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The Los Angeles Lakers have locked onto UConn head men's basketball coach Dan Hurley to become their newest head coach. In fact, Hurley and his agent are traveling to meet with the Lakers, who are prepared to offer him a “lucrative” long-term contract on Friday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Dan Hurley, I'm told, is on his way to meet with the Lakers tomorrow [Friday]. He will sit down with Rob Pelinka and owner Jeannie Buss. They will start to dig into what a Hurley-Lakers partnership would look like,” Wojnarowski stated before Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals in Boston. “Hurley knows Rob Pelinka. They have spent time together in the past, talked basketball, but this will be his first time meeting with Jeannie Buss.
“The Lakers would love to get a deal with Dan Hurley wrapped up this weekend. I expect these talks will move quickly. There is a lot of traction here between Hurley and the Lakers.”
Hurley, who has long been at the top of the Lakers' list of coaching candidates since they fired Darvin Ham, has been with UConn since 2018. The Lakers have been very aggressive in their pursuit of Hurley, leading many to believe that a deal will be agreed upon over the weekend.
Surprisingly, after leading UConn to back-to-back championships, Hurley has shown a lot of interest in becoming a head coach in the NBA. Both sides have been very serious about their interest in one another, which led to this scheduled meeting on Friday.
Should a deal get done between Hurley and the Lakers, the 51-year-old coach will be tasked with leading a roster highlighted by superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis to championship glory. He would also be tasked with aiding in the development of some of the team's young talents, such as Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and possibly the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Although he recently signed a six-year, $32.1 million contract with UConn after their championship in 2023, Hurley would only owe the school $1.875 million if he walked away for a job in the NBA, according to Sportico's Eben Novy-Williams.
Significant momentum continues to trend in the direction of Hurley becoming the Lakers' next head coach. Further updates and more clarity on the matter will be provided once the two sides meet on Friday.
