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Lakers Fire Head Coach Darvin Ham

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The Los Angeles Lakers need a new coach as Darvin Ham has been fired, the team announced on Friday. Who will be the next head coach of the Lakers?

Lakers Fire Head Coach Darvin Ham

The Lakers also dismissed the entire coaching staff, ESPN reported on Friday.

“We greatly appreciate Darvin Ham’s efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year’s remarkable run to the Western Conference finals,” Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We all want to thank Darvin for this dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. The organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world.”

The decision comes days after the Lakers lost their opening-round series against the Denver Nuggets in five games. Denver eliminated Los Angeles from the postseason in two consecutive seasons.

The Lakers held double-digit leads in their four losses to the Nuggets. However, Ham made questionable rotation decisions, allowing the Nuggets to climb back into each game.

Hired to replace Frank Vogel in 2022, Ham went 90-74 in two seasons and 9-12 in the postseason.

Under Ham, the Lakers won the 2023 In-Season Tournament and made the Play-In Tournament in Ham’s two seasons.

Who Will Be The Lakers Next Head Coach?

With Ham out, the Lakers will need their third head coach in four seasons.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is one of the Lakers’ top targets. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday that the Clippers want to sign Lue to a contract extension.

Mike Budenholzer, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021, will be in contention for the Lakers job, along with ESPN analyst JJ Redick and Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are an attractive destination for a coach who wants to compete for a championship. However, the front office must work with the new head coach to upgrade the roster behind James and Davis.

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