Lakers, Dan Hurley reportedly No.1 target for new head coaching position
Hurley has won the last two NCAA titles at the helm of Connecticut.
The Los Angeles Lakers have identified Dan Hurley as the leading candidate for the bench, and are ready to extend him a huge offer to leave Connecticut.
The news was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers for now have had only preliminary contacts with Hurley, but the parties plan to intensify negotiations in the coming days.
The coach, coming off two consecutive NCAA titles at the helm of the Huskies, has reportedly made no secret of his ambition to coach in the NBA and has expressed to the Lakers his desire to explore all aspects of the project that will be proposed to him.
Hurley reportedly convinced the Lakers thanks to his outstanding tactical acumen and unquestioned skills in player development.
LeBron James is said to be impressed by the sophisticated offensive plays set up by Hurley and his staff.
Wojnarowski paints a scenario that could be ideal for The Chosen One.
Assuming James returns to L.A. in free agency, the possibility of using the 55th overall pick in this month’s NBA draft on USC freshman guard Bronny James makes Hurley an even more intriguing candidate. If that happens, James gets a chance to play with his son and the benefit of Hurley and his staff becoming responsible for Bronny’s pro development.
The Lakers also spoke with Sam Cassell -assistant coach of the Boston Celtics- and David Adelman -assistant coach of the Denver Nuggets- in the course of their search.