Darvin Ham Fired: What (And Who) Is Next For the Lakers?

Someone had to pay the price for the Los Angeles Lakers' disappointing season, and head coach Darvin Ham took the fall.

The Lakers dismissed Ham on Friday after a full week of speculation that began after L.A. suffered a gentleman's sweep in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Monday. The firing comes after months of speculation and leaks about the lack of confidence in Ham in the locker room, LeBron James' open frustration with Ham's coaching decisions, and comments by Anthony Davis during a playoff series that the Lakers didn't know what they were doing on both ends of the floor.

Ham leaves the Lakers with a 102-86 record, including the playoffs, 99-73 (58%) when the Lakers weren't facing the Nuggets.

Ultimately, firing Ham was the only thing the Lakers could do. He had clearly lost the confidence of his two stars, and with the Lakers (and any LeBron team) when that happens, it's a wrap. His decisions this season — not starting Rui Hachimura after his success as a starter last season, relying on multi-guard lineups, the Lakers' lack of offensive organization — all drew heavy internal and external criticism.

But Ham was largely the victim of expectations, the thief of joy. In his first season, the Lakers were saddled with a dysfunctional roster until trading Russell Westbrook. They then made a fluke run to the Western Conference Finals after facing an injured Grizzlies team and a Warriors team running out of its dynasty gas (as evidenced by the Warriors missing the playoffs this season).

That set up the idea that the Lakers had a championship roster that just needed a few additions, which the Lakers made with players like Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince. They re-signed and featured D'Angelo Russell in a prominent role. The Lakers got off to a slow start, then won the In-Season Tournament which provided glimpeses of a championship level they could reach. But injuries to every other player aside from Davis and James (ironically) hurt their chances.

The Lakers were never able to establish real consistent chemistry, and Ham's lineups didn't help matters. The biggest problem with the Lakers was their roster and dependence on inconsistent players like Russell and Austin Reaves (who had a terrible first half to the season) as well as a lack of viable center to help take the burden off Davis. But the Lakers won one playoff game in two series vs. Denver, and that just won't do with James on board.

Here's a look at the key takeaways as the Lakers move on from Ham.

A Win For Klutch v. Buss

It's no secret in league circles that things have been frosty between Klutch Sports (James, Davis, Rich Paul et al) and the Lakers' front office (Jeanie Buss, Kurt Rambis, Rob Pelinka).

Things improved towards the back half of the year but James' press conference sign-off in his exit interview after the Nuggets series indicates that James is ready to exert his leverage and get what he wants.

The dispute stems over a few things, among them who was responsible for the Westbrook trade and what kind of deal they should have made — and on what timeline — to move on from Westbrook. But the move to fire Ham indicates a bending of the knee to a degree.

It's the Lakers front office who made the Ham hire over other candidates James would have preferred, signaling that they own the mistake, which improves James' position in any internal negotiations over the future of the franchise.

James wins this round, and it seems likely that the next Lakers coach is likely to be the one that Klutch prefers first and foremost.

A Podcaster For Head Coach?

OK, that's not really fair given that J.J. Redick is a former 15-year NBA veteran. But Redick hosts the "Mind The Game" podcast with James, and that's prompted a lot of speculation for the possibility of him taking the job. Redick has also interviewed recently with the Charlotte Hornets.

It's entirely possible that Redick gets the job on account of him having enough of a star profile and name value to satisfy the Lakers' brand while also having James' sign-off. But there will be an inherent difficulty in Redick coaching James and Davis given that he was a contemporary of them. There's no one you can hire who is bigger in the game than James that he will defer to, but it will be difficult for the other Lakers to have a typical coach-player relationship when one of their teammates is effectively friends with the head coach.

That said, Redick's a smart mind when it comes to X's and O's and brings real passion which is often missing with former players who are just used to the NBA lifestyle. He's a ruthless competitor and an innovator, which the Lakers could use.

Genuinely, there will be better jobs for Redick's long-term coaching career if it's something he wants than this, but it's a great chance to shoot the moon into immediate title contention, which always improves your hireability long-term.

Other Candidates

The Athletic reported after the firing that a short list of candidates includes Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, along with Redick.

Atkinson was a marvelous coach in Brooklyn before the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving disaster took away any power and authority he had. Atkinson is a great X's and O's and culture coach, but his ability to handle stars after how things ended in Brooklyn is in some doubt. Do not be surprised if James and Klutch seek out counsel from Durant and Irving on their thoughts about Atkinson.

Budenholzer has the most regular-season success and the best reputation. But he's also a coach known for being unable to adapt in the playoffs and wearing his players thin. His schemes are sound and effective; he's been a 50-win machine from Atlanta to Milwaukee.

But while the Lakers would be better prepared with Budenholzer, Bud's never had to coach stars on a level like this. Ham was actually from Budenholzer's coaching tree and there has to be trepidation that their approaches are too similar. Budenholzer has often coached read-and-react offenses (to notably great success in Atlanta) and that kind of lack of organization is exactly what frustrated the Lakers (and Davis in particular).

Other names to keep an eye on include Jason Kidd (should the Mavericks choose to unexpectedly move on from him), Phil Handy (a longtime Cavaliers and Lakers assistant who LeBron reportedly wanted for head coach before the Ham hire), and Mark Jackson, former head coach and ESPN broadcaster who is a Klutch client.

The most likely option? Clippers head coach Ty Lue. Lue signaled last year he was considering not returning for this season. ESPN reported Friday that the Clippers want to sign Lue to an extension.

If the Clippers lose in the first round (facing elimination Friday night), and Lue chooses to go a different direction, he makes natural sense. It's a coach with James' trust and belief who was almost hired before Frank Vogel in 2019. (The Lakers reportedly lowballed Lue the first time around. Rest assured that won't happen this time.)

Lue would have James' support, is a player's coach and a former player, has championship pedigree, and a reputation as one of the best coaches in the league. Despite some real struggles with the Clippers over the past three seasons under the radar due to injuries, Lue brings the necessary big-name status, championship pedigree, and Klutch support.

The New Coach Should Rent Not Buy

This roster has the shelf life of a banana. The Lakers are up against it as they look for a way to move on from D'Angelo Russell in a way that brings them back a quality starter. James is seeking a massive contract. They might be able to cobble together enough assets to trade for a third star like Donovan Mitchell, but it will leave them looking at filling in the gaps the same way the Suns had to last offseason after trading for Bradley Beal.

James will be 40 next season (if he returns as a Laker). Davis just played the most games he has in a half-decade and the kind of availability both he and James had this season was fortunate. The job comes with championship-or-bust expectations with a supporting roster deeply lacking in two-way players and a front office that has not been able to make quality moves beyond fixing their own mistake in Westbrook, trading for Hachimura, and developing Reaves over the last four years.

You get to be coach of the Lakers with LeBron James (maybe), but don't expect to become an institution. After all, the shine of stardom never lasts that long in Hollywood, especially not in a King's twilight.