Darvin Ham may have been fired by the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, but it looks like his stock is still high enough to get him other job opportunities in the NBA. In fact, the Phoenix Suns were reportedly open to having Ham on board.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Mike Budenholzer tried to add the former Lakers’ head coach to his staff ahead of his first season in charge of the Suns, but Ham declined the offer:
“League sources say Budenholzer made a run at trying to convince Darvin Ham to join his staff in Phoenix, but Ham — fired as Lakers coach on May 3 — is said to have understandably passed after two exacting seasons in Lakerland. The Suns responded by asking David Fizdale, from Vogel’s staff, to stay on as an assistant coach on Budenholzer’s new staff after initially offering him a front office role.”
This would’ve seen Ham work with the likes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker only a few months after running a roster led by LeBron James. However, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see what’s next for the 50-year-old.
How Ham has fared since parting with Budenholzer
Budenholzer took Ham under his wing for years, with the Saginaw native serving as an assistant for Mike between 2013 and 2018 with the Atlanta Hawks and also with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2018 to 2022.
While their last stint together resulted in an NBA championship in 2021, Ham decided to take on a new challenge with the Lakers in 2022. His rookie year as head coach resulted in a Conference Finals sweep at the hands of the Nuggets, who also took down the Lakers in 2024, but this time it was in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite the deep playoff run in 2023, the Lakers struggled for consistency in two years on Ham’s watch, which is why the franchise is now looking for a change with LeBron James‘ future uncertain. In the end, Ham’s first experience as a head coach resulted in a 90-74 record across two seasons.
Ham reportedly talked with Warriors
Apart from being given the chance to coach Durant, Ham could’ve also gone from working with LeBron to coaching Stephen Curry. According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors held conversations with Ham over an assistant role, though without much progress:
“The Warriors had some conversation with former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham in recent weeks, per league sources. That isn’t expected to materialize. But it is a signal of the Warriors’ desire to add a big-name assistant, and indications are they are in search of either a former head coach or former player to fill the role. If Atkinson leaves, they may add two assistant coaches. It remains a fluid time across the league in the coaching world.“
These recent rumors linking Ham with positions at NBA teams featuring other superstars suggest the former Lakers HC should be a name to watch this summer.
