The biggest NBA brand is looking to bring in the most successful college basketball coach, with ESPN reporting the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting UConn’s Danny Hurley for their vacant head coach position.
Hurley led the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Championships, becoming the first coach to do so since Billy Donovan did it with the Florida Gators in 2007 and 2008.
The Lakers had been targeting former Duke guard and NBA analyst J.J. Redick for the role, but now the team is reportedly preparing to offer Hurley a huge contract to pull him to the NBA.
The 51-year-old would take over a team still hoping to keep their championship window open with 40-year-old LeBron James and veteran big man Anthony Davis in the mix. LA won the title in 2020 but lost twice in the first round, and missed the playoffs altogether, since then.
For UConn, if Hurley does depart the players on the roster will all have 30 days to enter the transfer portal, and all eyes will be on recent NBA draft returnee Alex Karaban as well as incoming freshman Liam McNeeley and transfer portal additions Aidan Mahaney (St. Mary’s) and Tarris Reed (Michigan).
This story is continuing to develop.