It seems like on June 6, Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss woke up and decided, “We like JJ Redick, but he has no history of drafting and developing. This is not what he does.” At least, that’s what veteran analyst Colin Cowherd believes. Until June 6, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed prepared to let the former Mavericks man take control, but the Purple & Gold have turned their eyes to UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley. And according to Cowherd, Kevin Durant’s stint with the Warriors had something to do with it.

It’s no secret why the Lakers want Dan Hurley to leave college basketball for the NBA. Having led the Huskies to two consecutive NCAA championships, Hurley has the winning pedigree and, most importantly, he’s amassed splendid coaching experience in his six-year stint at UConn. Why do they require someone who can mold players and help them grow? That’s because “the league is now a draft and develop league.” In his appearance on the Hoops Tonight podcast, Colin Cowherd said, “The NBA has pivoted to young stars. KD, LeBron, Steph… It’s over. They’re not running the league anymore.”

The analyst also pointed out how the Lakers don’t want to repeat what the Golden State Warriors did with Kevin Durant. In 2017, when the salary cap boomed by 32%, the Golden State Warriors utilized the historic spike to add Durant to their roster. There was a common consensus – the Warriors had assembled a core that was too superior to compete against, and the NBA didn’t like that. “The league watched what the Golden State did with KD, and they didn’t like it. Adam Silver didn’t like the move. At all.” 

That stint ended with Durant leaving for the Nets when he felt like he would never really be “one of those guys” – the tight-knit group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Even so, during his time in San Francisco, Durant fit right in with the team when they were on the floor, winning back-to-back championships and coming oh-so-close to a three-peat. Seeing as the Warriors became almost invincible, Adam Silver & Co. needed to do something. As a result, the NBA added new CBA regulations to prevent it from ever happening again.

Explaining this from Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss’ point of view, Cowherd opined, “You start looking around and thinking, ‘Listen, man. We gotta start drafting and developing here. If you look at the second apron, what the CBA is in the NBA, we’re not gonna get a third huge star here with LeBron and AD. We have got to draft and develop.'” That’s where Dan Hurley came in, along with the justification of looking for options other than LeBron James‘ podcast co-host, JJ Redick. “My takeaway is, ‘Who drafts, who builds culture?’ It wasn’t a pivot away from LeBron. It was a pivot toward the league.”

Addressing Hurley’s links to the Lakers, Cowherd believes Buss has identified the new prevalent trend in the NBA, and it’s about drafting and nurturing talent rather than stacking stars. And well, who better than Hurley, a man who has transformed the landscape of UConn and placed them at the threshold of a national three-peat? Reddick is an intelligent player, doesn’t have any experience, and is likely much of a clue when it comes to cultivating talent from youth that aligns well with the future of a franchise.

A single look at the current NBA playoffs makes some things clear. The NBA Finals is being played between two next-generation super talents, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Also, for the first time in 19 years, none of Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant were present in the second round of the postseason. It was an omen that showed the league gravitating toward younger stars, a new era led by the likes of Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards.

Cowherd added, “I think Rob and Jeanie look at this and think, ‘There’s a change. We don’t want to be the Clippers – old, dysfunctional.’ It’s a great movie poster, but it’s not really a championship-winning team. And the Lakers don’t feel like [a championship-winning team].” If the Lakers want to return to winning ways, Dan Hurley may be the answer to getting them there by identifying and nurturing the right crops for the future.

The game-changing moves of Dan Hurley at UConn

In the six seasons that Hurley has been at the helm for UConn, he has scouted through many players. But he and his team have nailed down prospects flawlessly over the last few seasons. Let’s go only as far as the year they won the NCAA championship two seasons ago. During that season, no one projected the Huskies to win the title. It seemed like a miraculous run that was fostered overnight. But it was three years’ worth of work.

Adama Sanogo, a 6’9″ brawny forward who led the team in scoring during the Finals, was a four-star recruit that Hurley and his team scouted. Now on the Chicago Bulls, he posted a 22 points and 20 rebounds game at the end of the season. Another notable NBA mention was Jordan Hawkins – WNBA prodigy Angel Reese’s cousin – who earned a reputation as a scoring virtuoso under Hurley. The New Orleans Pelicans drafted him.

During the Huskies’ NCAA championship run this season, Tristen Newton, another prospect who transferred two seasons ago, scored 20 points against Purdue. Donovan Clingan, a 2022 four-star recruit according to ESPN, was also included heavily in the offense and was able to make an impact. Lastly, just before the season, they recruited Stephen Castle, a five-star recruit. All three names are anticipated to get drafted during the upcoming NBA draft.

Hence, the Lakers’ newfound interest and aggressive negotiations for Dan Hurley make sense. The NBA is resetting, paving a path for the newer generation. Doncic, Wemby, Edwards, and Tatum are the established players. But the draft is where hidden treasures are ultimately found. With the likes of Clingan, Castle, and Alex Karaban in the 2024 NBA draft, don’t you think recruiting one of them, along with Hurley as the head coach, could do wonders for the Lakers?

Who would you like to see become the head coach for the Lakers: Reddick or Hurley? Let us know in the comments who you think is the better option. Also, if you’re interested in learning about Caitlin Clark’s limitless potential, hear it from Shaq’s former agent, Leonard Armato, in this video below.