The Lakers seemed set to be hiring JJ Redick as their next head coach, but they have now shockingly turned their attention towards Dan Hurley.

Dan Hurley in the middle, LeBron James on one side with the big eyes emoji over his face, JJ Redick on the other side with the big eyes emoji over his face

The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking long and hard for their next head coach after they fired Darvin Ham earlier this offseason. Recent reports seemed to indicate that JJ Redick was on his way to becoming Ham’s replacement, but in a shocking turn of events, it now appears that LA is gunning hard for UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley, and they are rumored to be preparing a massive contract offer for him in an effort to lure him away from the Huskies.

Hurley is fresh off leading UConn to two straight NCAA Championships, and while he obviously had some interest from NBA teams looking to bring him to the pros, he generally didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave the Huskies. That hasn’t stopped the Lakers, though, and they are looking to pull out all the stops to bring Hurley out west.

While the Hurley news itself is wildly surprising, there’s an added element of shock given how it seemed like Redick was closing in on the job. However, it seems like Hurley has been Los Angeles’ top candidate throughout the entire process, and with contract talks set to ramp up in the coming days, this deal could very well get completed before we all know it.

Lakers willing to do whatever it takes to land Dan Hurley

Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley cuts the basketball net winning the Men's NCAA national championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow-USA TODAY NETWORK
UConn’s basketball has been known more for their women’s team than their men’s team in recent years, but since taking over as the team’s head coach back in 2018, Hurley has changed that narrative. The Huskies men’s team has become a powerhouse, as they have coasted to victory in the past two March Madness tournaments to establish themselves as the top team in the nation.

It’s not hard to see why the Lakers have such an interest in Hurley. While winning in college and winning in the pros are two different things, Hurley has turned the Huskies into a perennial winner. After a pair of rocky seasons with Ham at the helm, Los Angeles wants to find a way to maximize their chances of winning a title before James eventually calls it a career.

Of course, the first order of business LA has this offseason, regardless of whether or not they hire Hurley, is finding a way to keep James in town. LeBron has a player option in his deal, and should he opt out, he could test the open market in search of a new home. That’s obviously not what the Lakers want to happen, so they have to find a way to persuade James to finish his career in Los Angeles.

Hiring Hurley, who is one of the top head coaches in the game of basketball right now, would be a great way to prove to James that they are intent on building a winner around him for the final years of his career. There’s still a lot of work to be done before any potential deal comes to fruition, but there’s clearly some momentum building here, and the Lakers could very well end up pulling off this massive head coaching hire in the near future.