Los Angeles Lakers rumors were swirling about the future of head coach Darvin Ham just hours after the team was eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. It was rumored that he would be relieved of his duties, and on Friday afternoon, that became a reality.
According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ham has been dismissed as head coach of the Lakers after two seasons. All things considered, he had a pretty solid tenure with the team, as they were 90-74 in the regular season, making the playoffs both years.
They went 9-12 in the postseason under Ham with eight of those losses coming against the Nuggets. The Lakers were also victorious in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, defeating the Indiana Pacers in the championship game.
Per Wojnarowski, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka informed Ham of the move with a phone call. In what is a very important offseason for the purple and gold, Ham’s departure is the first of what will likely be many big moves.
After advancing to the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, a first-round exit this year will lead to changes. Whoever the next head coach is will benefit from the front office having extra draft capital to dangle in trades to upgrade the roster with.
There have already been a few names linked to the head coaching vacancy, as Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is supposedly atop the Lakers’ wish list. Lue has experience coaching LeBron James, as the two were together for three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Former NBA sharpshooter, and James’s new podcast partner, J.J. Redick has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. Redick has also emerged in the running for the Charlotte Hornets’ head coaching job.
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