Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Darvin Ham has officially been fired from the head coaching position of the Los Angeles Lakers.
During his two seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Darvin Ham had a record of 90-74 in the regular season and made it to the playoffs through the play-in tournament twice.
In the previous season, he led the team to the Western Conference Finals, and this season, they won the NBA In-Season Tournament.
The main reason for the dismissal is yet another easy loss to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. After last season’s sweep in the Western Conference Finals, where the Lakers were defeated by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets with 4-0, this season they managed to secure one win, but were ultimately defeated 4-1.
That didn’t satisfy the franchise’s appetite, which constantly strives for the title. And it’s understandable, given that they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their roster. Ham had two more years on his contract, but the Los Angeles Lakers decided that what they saw was enough.
According to the always well-informed Shams Charania, there are currently 4 names in contention for the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mike Budenholzer
Mike Budenholzer is an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. After being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs with the Bucks last season by the Miami Heat with a score of 4-1, the experienced coach was relieved of his duties. He faced personal challenges as well, as he learned of his brother’s death during the series with the Heat.
He took a break this season, and now it seems like the perfect opportunity for a new job. In addition to the Milwaukee Bucks, Budenholzer has coached the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2018. He has been named NBA Coach of the Year twice in his career, in 2015 and 2019.
JJ Redick
JJ Redick ended his career in 2021 with the Dallas Mavericks and is remembered as one of the best shooters in league history. Since then, he has been mentioned as a possible assistant coach for many teams and has been linked to the Charlotte Hornets as a head coach.
One of the main factors that could help Redick land the Lakers’ bench is his excellent relationship with LeBron James. Redick currently hosts his own podcast and works as an analyst on ESPN.
Kenny Atkinson
Kenny Atkinson is currently serving as an assistant coach to Steve Kerr on the Golden State Warriors’ bench, with whom he won the NBA title in 2022. Atkinson has only been a head coach of one team, the Brooklyn Nets, from 2016 to 2020.
During his tenure with the Nets, he led them to the playoffs only once, where they were defeated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers with a score of 4-1. After that, he worked as an assistant to Tyronn Lue on the Los Angeles Clippers’ bench before taking the same position with the Warriors.
Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Lue might be the least realistic option for the Los Angeles Lakers’ coaching job. He is currently under contract with their city rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers. Only in the event of a possible dismissal could Lue take over the Lakers’ bench.
He has already collaborated with LeBron James, with whom he achieved his greatest success in his career, winning the NBA title in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since 2020, he has been coaching the Clippers, with whom he made franchise history by leading them to the conference finals in 2021, where they were defeated by the Phoenix Suns.