Los Angeles Lakers Targeting Connecticut’s Dan Hurley

The Los Angeles Lakers are targeting UConn's Dan Hurley as the franchise's next coach and are preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to bring the back-to-back NCAA national champion to the NBA, sources told ESPN.

The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley and the sides are planning to escalate discussions in the coming days, sources told ESPN. Hurley has been at the forefront of the Lakers' search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing several other candidates, sources said.

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Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss are eager to formally discuss with Hurley their vision of marrying his dominant program -- built upon both his tactical acumen and elite player development -- with the storied Lakers' brand, sources said.

Hurley, 51, has often described his ambition to one day coach in the NBA and has expressed to the Lakers a desire to explore the full picture of a partnership with one of basketball's winningest franchises, sources said.

Hurley is 141-58 (.709) in six seasons as the UConn coach -- and holds an NCAA tournament record of 12 consecutive double-digit victories.