"Dan Hurley is the coach they've been after": NBA analyst calls Lakers' coaching interviews with other candidates a "due diligence"

NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski surprised many when he reported on Thursday that UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley is the Los Angeles Lakers' main target. The news was a surprise, as Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that J.J. Reddick was the front-runner for the job.

However, Wojnarowski said Hurley has always been the Lakers' target, and all the other interviews involved the team doing their due diligence.

"Throughout this process (Dan Hurley) is the coach they’ve been after. Everybody else has been essentially due process interviews, due diligence. They want to get Hurley and they are hopeful," Wojnarowski said on First Take.

This is a double-down from Wojnarowski, who wrote in his ESPN article on Thursday that the Lakers have become enamored by Hurley.

"The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley and the sides are planning to escalate discussions in the coming days, sources told ESPN," Wojnarowski wrote.

Hurley signed a six-year deal worth $32.1 million in 2023 after winning his first national championship. After winning the second straight title, he made it clear that he would go for the three-peat. So, the news of him potentially being the head coach of the Lakers is a surprise.

Dan Hurley said his contract with UConn was complicated

Dan Hurley spoke about his contract with UConn and said it was "complicated," which was surprising given he just signed a new extension.

"It's complicated," Hurley said, via CT Insider. "There's a business side of it, which you allow your agent to advise you on. I'm not a business man. I'm not good at that. I'm a one-trick pony."

Hurley is one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball, but he could soon be leaving that to join the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.

Hurley has been the head coach of the UConn Huskies since 2018 and is 141-58 all-time with the program, including winning back-to-back national titles.