Los Angeles Lakers pursue Dan Hurley for head coaching position: Reports

Dan Hurley is the Los Angeles Lakers' top candidate to take over as head coach, according to reports. Under Hurley's leadership, UConn has won consecutive NCAA titles in the previous two seasons. After losing to the Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs this spring, the Lakers are searching for a new coach to take Darvin Ham's position. 

Hurley has won approximately 300 games in 14 seasons as a head coach at the highest level of men's college basketball. Hurley was coming to Los Angeles Lakers later on Thursday, according to reports, to meet with the Lakers on Friday to "dig into what a Hurley-Laker partnership would look like." According to reports, Los Angeles Lakers want to close a deal this weekend. 

J.J. Redick, a former NBA player, and Duke graduate, was thought to be the front-runner for the Lakers position in recent days. However, it is said that the Lakers are getting ready to provide a "massive" salary to Hurley to lure him to the NBA.

LeBron James contract getting over

Hurley would take over a team that is seeking to make one more run to the Finals with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. After winning the 2020 NBA Finals, the Lakers fell again in the first round of the playoffs and did not make the postseason in 2022. In Ham's first season, 2022-23, the Lakers received the No. 7 seed and went to the Western Conference finals before being swept by the Nuggets.

LeBron James has a player option for the 2024–25 season that has to be picked up by June 29. James turns 40 in December. If it gets picked up, James and Davis will earn a total of $90 million the following season. However, James has the option to back out and work out a new agreement with the Lakers.