What Lakers Coaching Rumor Means For Suns

The Phoenix Suns could be seeing a key rival making a coaching hire by the end of this weekend.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to meet with UConn head coach Dan Hurley today in L.A., per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"Hurley has not made a decision about exiting UConn for the NBA, but there is momentum in these discussions, sources said," according to Wojnarowski.

This follows reports that JJ Redick and James Borrego were initially prominent names of the search, but Hurley has seemingly been the focus from the start.

What would a Hurley hire by the Lakers mean for the Suns? It could mean one of two things at the surface of things.

Lakers Prioritizing Future

This could be a risky hire for the Lakers, as it could be presumed that star F LeBron James would like to see the franchise make bigger swings for the fences, as he is reported to only be set to play one-to-two more seasons in the league.

LeBron James loved what he saw from Dan Hurley's offense during the NCAA tournament 👀

(via @OldManAndThree) pic.twitter.com/5dcrFDK3nL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 6, 2024

James has been quite complimentary of Hurley in the past, but much of Wojnarowski's report was centered around the Lakers being bullish on his development moreso than what he can bring in the present.

Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Max Christie were specifically named as young players that the Lakers believe Hurley could maximize, but the window they currently operate with is quite delicate.

How can the Lakers play both timelines in perfect unison? It would be quite tricky to make the most of LeBron's remaining time in the league without sacrificing young talent, and it would be even more difficult to go all-in on winning right now with the perceived value of the assets they own.

Even though the LeBron-to-Suns proposition feels unlikely, it could be a distinct possibility that he chooses to depart L.A. and certainly could take a potential competitor out of the equation for at least the next 2-3 seasons.

Lakers Could Go All-In

While the Lakers have a limited collection of high-priced assets, as mentioned above, the team could still attempt to swing a "huge" trade, possibly involving Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks or even Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The collection of Reaves, Hachimura and others such as Jalen Hood-Schifino might not be enough to swing such a trade, but it would be the only other avenue they could take other than banking on "internal improvement."

If they were to make such a big trade, the gap between the Lakers and Suns could subside significantly, with the possibility that L.A. even surpasses Phoenix.

The Lakers are ultimately stuck in a strange position. Dan Hurley is a fantastic college coach, but the college-to-pro jump rarely works. The Lakers have a funky roster construction that essentially forces them in one of two directions.

James and his potential pending free-agency make it even more complicated, but the hiring of Hurley could make for a more difficult future for the Suns - if he can develop prospects as well as in college.