The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to undergo some serious changes this offseason, with one being the head coaching position.
The Lakers made the controversial decision to part ways with Frank Vogel after missing the playoffs in a disappointing 2021-22 season, just around 18 months after he guided the organization to its 17th championship in the bubble in 2020.
Now, the Lakers have begun their work to find a replacement, although that will be no easy task considering their reputation around the league isn’t exactly great right now. There have already been reports regarding some candidates not being interested due to how the Lakers handled Vogel’s firing, plus there are a ton of uncertainties surrounding the roster heading into the summer.
The Lakers will certainly do their due diligence before landing on a new coach though, and it appears that process has already begun. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers have requested permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for the job:
Sources: The Lakers have requested permission to interview Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for their head coach opening. Ham served as a Lakers assistant from 2011-13. The team is starting the next stage of the coaching search process.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2022
Ham is a name that had already been linked to the Lakers and was an assistant coach for the organization from 2011-13, so this interview request doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
The 48-year-old does not have any NBA head coaching experience, but he is regarded as one of the best assistants in the league and is expected to get an opportunity as a head coach soon, whether it be with the Lakers or elsewhere.
There haven’t been any other reports of the Lakers sending in requests for interviews, although some other names that have already been linked to the job in addition to Ham include Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, Mike Brown and Quin Snyder.
The Lakers are believed to be looking for someone with past experience, so if that is a significant factor for them, then Ham may not be their next head coach.
Snyder reportedly unsure about future
Snyder is a name that keeps coming up for the Lakers, although he is reportedly unsure about his future with the Utah Jazz after being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday night.
It remains to be seen how much interest Snyder would have in the Lakers if he leaves Utah, but L.A.’s interest in him is clear and he may be viewed as the early frontrunner to land the job.
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