Getty Darvin Ham watching on during a Los Angeles Lakers game on January 11.
For the fourth time since LeBron James‘ arrival in 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers have fired their head coach, and are canvassing the market for a new outside hire.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first with reports that Darvin Ham had been dismissed as head coach on May 3.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers dismissed coach Darvin Ham, sources tell ESPN. In two seasons, Ham was 90-74 with a Western Conference Finals berth, two Play-In victories and an In-Season title. Lakers lost in five games to Denver in opening-round.
Shams Charania of The Athletic followed up the Ham news with a preliminary list of candidates for the Lakers’ head coaching job.
The Los Angeles Lakers have parted ways with coach Darvin Ham, and sources tell me and @jovanbuha an extensive search will commence soon, with candidates such as Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick and, if he becomes available, Ty Lue among others.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have parted ways with coach Darvin Ham,” Charania tweeted on May 3. “And sources tell me and @jovanbuha an extensive search will commence soon, with candidates such as Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick and, if he becomes available, Ty Lue among others.”
Los Angeles suffered a second-consecutive elimination at the hands of Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.
Anthony Davis and James flexed their superstar muscles all series long, but it was only enough for one win in Game 4 to avoid the sweep. The Los Angeles Lakers season ends with the five-game series.
As does Darvin Ham’s tenure with the team.
Ty Lue the Least & Most Likely
To see Ty Lue’s name pop up as a candidate is surprise to few.
The mutual admiration shared between James and his 2016 head coach is well documented. It makes him an obvious candidate.
But his still being employed as the head coach of the LA Clippers puts an asterisk on it all.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, discussed the viability of Lue as a candidate with Malika Andrews on May 3.
How realistic is it that Ty Lue could be the next coach of the Lakers? @wojespn reports on NBA Today:
“I don’t believe it’s realistic based on this,” Wojnarowski said. “Ty Lue still has a year left on his contract, and the Clippers are determined to do a long term deal, with Ty Lue I’m told. They want him to be their coach for a very long time. That’s a conversation that will happen after the playoffs are over. But they love the job he did this season, they love the job he’s done there.”
Lue’s future with the Clippers could hinge on the free agencies of James Harden and Paul George, who Wojnarowski went on to report they want to resign.
If either or both of them departed this offseason, the entire franchise would have to reevaluate their standing in the Western Conference.
The Lakers won’t hold their breath, and fortunately face a field of available coaches that have seen success in the NBA.
The Rest of the Reported Field for the Lakers Job
Wojnarowski went on to discuss Mike Budenholzer’s place in the Los Angeles coaching search.
“Of course the Lakers offered the job to Ty Lue back before Frank Vogel got it,” Wojnarowski continued. “They couldn’t come to terms on a deal, and so you start to look out in the marketplace. Mike Budenholzer is probably the most accomplished coach available, won a championship in Milwaukee, rebuilt, was also Coach of the Year in Atlanta.”
After a championship run in 2021, Budenholzer was fired and replaced with Adrian Griffin last summer, who was replaced by Doc Rivers.
Other names Wojnarowski mentioned include Golden State Warriors‘ top assistant Kenny Atkinson, and James Borrego, an associate head coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.
“It always isn’t going necessarily big game hunting when it comes to Laker head coaches,” said Wojnarowski. “You may see other candidates who’ve had success as head coaches, a Kenny Atkinson, a James Borrego, coaches of that ilk certainly could be part of this conversation.”
The NBA’s most famous coaching carousel continues in Los Angeles, as the Lakers again on the hunt for a coach who can deliver them a championship behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Happy hunting, Rob Pelinka.