The Lakers seem to really want Dan Hurley in the fold.
Los Angeles plans to meet with the UConn men’s basketball coach on Friday and hopes to close a deal as soon as the weekend as the Lakers look to fill their vacancy on the bench, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After news broke earlier Thursday that the Lakers were interested in the two-time national champion Huskies coach, Wojnarowski added more details about the upcoming meeting on ‘NBA Countdown’ before Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The “extremely aggressive” Lakers will have owner Jeanie Buss and general manager and vice president Rob Pelinka meet with Hurley and his agent on Friday.
The ESPN insider added that the two sides will discuss what a potential partnership would look like, and he expects talks will move quickly, though the Lakers still have to determine if there is a “fit” in Los Angeles.
Wojnarowski expects things to finish quickly, even if Hurley does not intend to sign a deal.
The two sides already have had preliminary discussions about the job, and The Post confirmed Thursday that Hurley is interested in the gig.
Los Angeles has the coaching opening after Darvin Ham was fired following a first-round playoff exit after a 47-35 regular season.
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Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that ESPN analyst and former NBA player JJ Redick was being zeroed in on as a top candidate for the gig.
On Wednesday, Redick addressed the report on the ‘GoJo and Golic’ show, saying he’s keeping his focus on his media work for the NBA Finals.
“I would says this; my focus right now is on calling the NBA Finals,” Redick said.
“I am so fortunate that I’m in this position and I get to call these finals with Doris and Mike … my day-to-day right now is consumed with calling games, the 19 different podcasts I feel like I have, my obligations to all of our partners. My focus is on the NBA Finals.”
Hurley, who denied that he had any interest in Kentucky’s coaching opening earlier this spring, said after UConn won its second straight national title that he wasn’t going to be leaving for another school.
“I’m not going in the portal,” Hurley said in April, according to the Hartford Courant.
“I’m not.”
Not long after that, Hurley was on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and said he would join the NBA ranks “down the road if I can grow up a little bit”.
Hurley has reached the NCAA Tournament four straight years and has a 141-58 record since taking over the UConn program in 2018-19 after stops at Wagner and Rhode Island.
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission