The
Los Angeles Lakers have been out of the playoffs for just a few days now but the team's front office is hard at work planning for next season and beyond. It is clear that this season didn't work out as planned and some changes are needed, including with the head coach.
After months of speculation, it seems that
Darvin Ham's time as the team's coach is coming to an ened.
According to Jovan Buha, Ham should be relieved of his duties within the next few days.
"The latest I've heard is the plan is still to move on from Darvin at some point, likely by the end of the week. Potentially as early as [Thursday]. Then, the head coaching search will start. I've already started to hear some names from different people... From what I've heard over the last couple of days, the plan is still to move on from Darvin."
- Jovan Buha
This was Ham's second season with the Lakers and it came with some impressive moments, like when they won the first In-Season Tournament.
But LA's ultimate goal was returning to the Western Conference Finals or beyond and they didn't achieve that. Additionally, there have been complaints about Ham all season long, related to his rotation choices, his resistance to settling on a starting five, and his lack of timeouts.
The firing of Ham may do a lot to change the trajectory of the team and the search for his replacement should start in a few days. Right now, rumored choices for the job include JJ Redick, Mark Jackson, Mike Budenholzer, and others.
Finding a new coach will be one of the multiple jobs the front office has this offseason. They will need to create a new contract extension with LeBron, possibly draft his son Bronny, and add more talent to the roster.
The Lakers are about to have a very busy summer, and it could begin this week.
