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Lakers Rumors: Bucks' Darvin Ham to Interview for Vacant HC Position
April 29, 2022
The Los Angeles Lakers have requested an interview with Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham for their head coaching vacancy, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Per that report, the Lakers are "starting the next stage of the coaching search process."
Ham has also received permission to interview with the Sacramento Kings for their coaching vacancy, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 48-year-old spent eight years in the NBA as a role player for the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, averaging 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in his career.
He transitioned into NBA coaching in 2011, serving as an assistant for the Lakers for two seasons. He's since had stints in Atlanta (2013-14 to 2017-18) and Milwaukee (2018-19 to present).
The Lakers, meanwhile, are seeking to replace Frank Vogel, who went 127-98 as the head coach, reached the playoffs in two of his three seasons and won a title with the team. But the Lakers were a woeful 33-49 this season and, despite poor roster construction and a spate of injuries, Vogel was the first scapegoat to fall.
The Lakers are sure to cast a wide net, with recent reports linking them to Utah Jazz head honcho Quin Snyder. Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote that Philadelphia's Doc Rivers and Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Brown were also "realistic coaching candidates."
And Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has also been linked to the vacancy.
The Lakers will hope to draw a high-profile candidate with the allure of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and an address in sunny Los Angeles. The team's tumultuous 2021-22 season and the manner in which the Vogel firing was handled may play a part in which of those candidates entertain the possibility of joining the franchise, however.