Los Angeles Lakers: Head-coaching search back at square one after Dan Hurley debacle

After missing out on Dan Hurley, where will the Los Angeles Lakers' head-coaching search lead to next?

A few days ago, it seemed as if the Dan Hurley to Los Angeles Lakers hype was gaining quite the steam. However, in the end, Hurley decided to remain at Connecticut and not take the Lakers job. Los Angeles reportedly put on the full-court press but Hurley decided he wanted to attempt to make history with the Huskies instead of rolling the dice in a high-pressure environment like the Lakers.

In the end, this is a decision that could end up working out for both sides. But we won't know that until down the road. We certainly won't have any idea in knowing that until the Lakers find out who their next head coach is going to be. Right now, there's no natural leading candidate. Especially after it quickly became apparent that Hurley was the Lakers' No. 1 option.

Most are going to be quick to point to J.J. Redick as who the Lakers may target next, but that may not be as much of a lock as some seem to think.

J.J. Redick may not be the next natural head-coaching candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers

In fact, according to a recent report, the Lakers have had "minimal" contact with Redick regarding their head-coaching vacancy of late. If he's considered to be the favorite, it certainly doesn't look that way. At least not at the moment.

At this point, it's not outrageous to suggest that the Lakers could be back at square one when it comes to their head-coaching search. It appears the Lakers went all-in on Hurley and might not have expected him to decline their offer. Now that he has, it puts the team in a difficult situation.

With just two weeks before the 2024 NBA Draft and essentially the start of the offseason, the Lakers could now be in a rush to find a new head coach. Ideally, the Lakers would want a head coach in place by the time big offseason decisions need to be made.

Unless they work quickly, there's at least a non-zero chance that the Lakers are still looking for a head coach by the time the NBA Draft rolls around.

I don't think it's time for the Lakers to panic but they're a little behind after missing out on Hurley. As the team reopens their head-coaching search, it'll be interesting to see not only the candidates that arise for the team but also the pace in which they operate in.