Lakers' Top HC Options to Replace Darvin Ham After Charles Lee Gets Hornets Contract

The pool of head-coaching candidates for the Los Angeles Lakers to choose from is getting smaller, though there are still plenty of options available.

Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, who was cited as a top candidate by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, was hired by the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. He will finish out the Celtics' playoff run before taking over.

This comes after Jason Kidd, who ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported was a candidate of interest to the Lakers, signed a multiyear extension with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.

The Lakers are in the market for a head coach after firing Darvin Ham on May 3. His dismissal came after a first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets. The 50-year-old went 90-74 in two seasons with the club.

Even though some of their candidates are off the board, the Lakers could be casting a wide net to make sure they get the hiring right. Whoever gets the job will be their third head coach since 2019 and eighth since Phil Jackson retired after the 2010-11 season.

Here are the top remaining options for the Lakers to choose from.

Tyronn Lue

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 21: Head Coach Tyronn Lue of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2024 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Of the potential candidates for the Lakers, Tyronn Lue would seem to be the least-likely to actually happen.

The Lakers have made no secret they are interested in Lue, but he's still under contract to the Los Angeles Clippers for two more seasons.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the Clippers intend to pursue an extension with Lue, who is "expected to be a target" for the Lakers and other clubs.

Speaking to reporters after the Clippers' first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Mavericks on May 3, Lue said "it's great to be wanted" when asked about the Lakers' interest in him before reiterating his commitment to his current club.

"I didn't come in to bounce around, go all over the place," Lue said. "They've all been great to me. Just having a great relationship with the owner, with the front office. It's great. I would love to be here longterm."

Lue's history with LeBron James is an obvious selling point for the Lakers, but that situation is also complicated because James can become a free agent this summer. The 20-time All-Star is expected to sign a new deal with the Lakers, but his long-term status in the NBA would seem to be uncertain since he will turn 40 on Dec. 30.

Unless Lue feels like this stint with the Clippers has run its course, it's hard to see him ending up with the Lakers. Even if he wants to leave his current job, would Steve Ballmer really trade his contract to the other team that plays in Los Angeles?

Kenny Atkinson

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SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 16: Assistant Coach Kenny Atkinson of the Golden State Warriors coaches during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2024 Play-In Tournament on April 16, 2024 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Kenny Atkinson is another person who was considered a "top candidate" for the Lakers by Charania.

It's a bit strange Atkinson has yet to receive another head-coaching job since leaving the Brooklyn Nets midway through the 2019-20 season. He led them to a 42-40 record and a playoff appearance in 2018-19 with a young roster featuring D'Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie.

The summer after that postseason appearance the Nets' roster completely changed when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the club. Atkinson never got the chance to coach Durant in games because the two-time NBA Finals MVP sat out all of 2019-20 recovering from a torn Achilles.

Since leaving the Nets, Atkinson has spent time as an assistant on Lue's staff with the Clippers in 2020-21 and Steve Kerr's staff with the Golden State Warriors for the past three seasons.

Atkinson did agree to become the Hornets' head coach in June 2022 before backing out of the agreement to remain with the Warriors. The 56-year-old was reportedly one of three finalists for the Milwaukee Bucks' opening last summer that eventually went to Adrian Griffin.

If Atkinson believes now is the right time for him to take another swing at being a head coach, the Lakers could be a good landing spot. They will have two established stars on the roster, assuming James returns, and the ability to trade one first-round draft pick in either 2029 or '30 as part of a package to add another quality player.

Mike Budenholzer

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 19: Head coach Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts during the first half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Miami Heat at Fiserv Forum on April 19, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Another top candidate for the Lakers, according to Charania, is former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Coach Bud sat out the 2023-24 season after the Bucks fired him in the wake of their first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat. He's had tremendous success in both Milwaukee and Atlanta as a head coach.

Budenholzer owns a 484-317 career record in 10 seasons between the two clubs. His teams have made the playoffs nine times, won at least 50 games in the regular season five times and reached the conference finals three times.

The Bucks won the 2020-21 NBA title under Budenholzer. There has been criticism throughout his career about either an inability or unwillingness to make adjustments in the playoffs that has led to teams not being as successful as they were assumed to be.

While that is a valid concern for a team like the Lakers to have, they haven't been a great regular season team for most of James' tenure with the organization. Their .519 winning percentage over the past four seasons is tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 15th in the NBA.

At the very least, Budenholzer's resume in the regular season is strong enough to convince Lakers management he can keep them out of the play-in tournament and in the top six in the Western Conference for the first time since winning the NBA title in 2019-20.

JJ Redick

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Let's talk about JJ Redick for a moment, since he is reportedly under consideration for the Lakers.

The connection is obvious because James and Redick just started doing a podcast two months ago. They seem to have a good rapport on the show, so bringing in someone James already has an established relationship with would seem like a good idea on paper.

But Redick has no experience as a coach of any kind. This isn't to say he can't be good at it, but the list of people who succeeded under those circumstances is not a long one.

The Nets tried it with Steve Nash when he was hired in September 2020. You can argue the move paid off because they made the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, including taking the Bucks to overtime in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals before losing.

When you also factor in all of the turmoil happening with Kyrie Irving and James Harden eventually getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the 2021-22 season, Nash might have been doing one of the best coaching jobs in the NBA.

As a former player who only recently retired in September 2021, Redick has an understanding of the way current NBA locker rooms operate better than a lot of people. He might be able to immediately command respect from James, which would boost his credibility with the rest of the team.

It's not impossible to envision a scenario where Redick is hired by the Lakers, but it seems like such a monumental task to put on him as a first-time coach at any level that it feels like a long shot at this moment.