More bad news for JJ Redick, as after Dan Hurley, another college basketball phenom, Jay Wright, entered the chat to vie for the vacant Los Angeles Lakers HC job. Since the firing of Darvin Ham following the Lakers’ first-round exit, Redick led the race to land the job, but within a space of 72 hours, he is now drifting far from it.
Jay Wright, the 2-time NCAA championship-winning coach, has emerged as a “stealth candidate” for the coveted job. As per Marc Stein, the former Villanova HC has an outside chance to land the job if the Lakers decide to move away from Hurley due to his commitment to UConn. “I had been warned early on by one well-placed insider, for what it’s worth, to stay ready in case former Villanova coach Jay Wright emerged as a stealth candidate,” the NBA insider said.
After finishing his 21-year stint with Villanova, Wright left the coaching role in 2022. Since then, he has been linked with several high-profile jobs in the NBA, but this is the most recent about him. If Dan Hurley remains with the Huskies after delivering back-to-back NCAA championships, Wright could be a viable option for the Lakers.
With Hurley setting a deadline for his Lakers decision, it’s a guessing game around the vacant seat.
Who Might Make the Cut as HC for Los Angeles Lakers?
While JJ Redick has the most underwhelming CV in the race, he was the frontrunner and some even speculated that he would’ve already been the Lakers coach if he wasn’t on commentary duty for the NBA Finals.
Sam Cassell and James Borrego were the other favorites to secure the position, but after the Lakers’ prolonged interview process, their names have taken a back seat.
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Dan Hurley boasts the most impressive CV among the candidates, with championship calibre experience, despite not having coached in the NBA before. Reports suggest that Hurley will make his decision on Monday about the Lakers’ proposal after going through an encouraging meeting with Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka on Friday.
For Jay Wright, even if the chances are minimal, the Lakers could have a more than capable HC at their disposal with him. The former Villanova HC has been responsible for the development of the likes of Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, and Jalen Brunson, who had a massive season with the Knicks till their Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to the Pacers. With a win-loss record of 642–282, Wright is the most experienced candidate available to the Lakers.
But all eyes will be on Dan Hurley today as he’ll decide whether the Lakers HC appointment saga will drag on further.
