After being removed from his position with the Los Angeles Lakers, Darvin Ham continues to generate interest from teams across the league. As most NBA fans should be aware, Ham was the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers until the end of this season. After being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets for the second year in a row, the Lakers decided to part ways with him and look for his replacement.
Although the Lakers are yet to confirm who their new head coach will be, it is clear that Ham is free to join any other team that is willing to have him. Given that he has been unable to help lead the Lakers to a decent standing over the past few seasons, one must wonder which team has shown interest in him. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
The Phoenix Suns have shown interest in bringing on Darvin Ham
The Los Angeles Lakers are not the only team that has fallen greatly short of expectations once again this season. Some fans will remember that the Phoenix Suns made drastic changes to their roster in order to contend for an NBA title. However, they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As a result, the Suns also made the decision to move on from Frank Vogel and brought on former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer as their new coach. Recent reports reveal that Budenholzer made an attempt to bring on Darvin Ham as his assistant coach. This would be a reunion of sorts between them given that Ham was the assistant coach for the Bucks and has worked under Budenholzer in the past.
Phoenix recently contacted Darvin Ham, per @TheSteinLine
“League sources say Budenholzer made a run at trying to convince Darvin Ham to join his staff in Phoenix, but Ham — fired as Lakers coach on May 3 — is said to have understandably passed after two exacting seasons in… pic.twitter.com/KhJ6FTprNo
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 2, 2024
The same report also clarified that Ham did not immediately accept this offer and turned it away. As a result, Phoenix is now looking to bring back David Fizdale as their assistant coach. However, it is still possible for Ham to change his mind and take this position if he is unable to secure a coaching position on another team in the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers are still on the lookout for a new head coach
The Lakers made the decision to move on from Darvin Ham just days after their season came to an end at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. However, the team had no available candidate standing by and is still on the lookout for a new coach. Initial reports claimed that the Lakers were looking to bring on Tyron Lue. Unfortunately for Laker Nation, Lue is under contract with the Los Angeles Clippers and is unlikely to leave the team.
Another potential candidate for the head coaching position is former NBA star JJ Redick. While having a younger coach with a personal relationship with LeBron may help the team, JJ has no real coaching experience at this level. In any case, fans are left wondering who the Lakers will bring in as head coach to start the next season.