Darvin Ham’s potential replacement is already looking to seize his Lakers job.
Unless the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship this season, there is a good likelihood that the franchise may contemplate a head coaching change. Darvin Ham has purposefully held the Lakers back this season with poor rotations and a lack of actual coaching. It has become so terrible that LeBron James has publicly discussed overruling Ham’s late-game coaching decisions. It’s never a good sign when your star player publicly confesses he’s doing a better job coaching than you.
The fact that the Lakers may part ways with Ham does not guarantee that they will replace him with a home-run head coach. After all, the most likely replacement for Ham is hardly a thrilling prospect, and he is already preparing to coach the Lakers next season. Former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard indicated in an interview with Brendan Quinn of The Athletic that he will return to coaching, with the report stating that he will most likely coach in the NBA.
Howard did not expressly mention the Lakers, but he did not need to for Lakers supporters to see through this statement. The fact that making the jump to the NBA was specifically highlighted is enough to indicate that he is attempting to worm his way onto the Lakers’ staff. After all, Rob Pelinka, the president of basketball operations, is a Michigan native who has previously expressed interest in the programme. In athletics, it’s often about who you know rather than what you know, and Howard’s status as a valued member of the Michigan fraternity only adds to his value in Pelinka’s eyes.
This isn’t even speculation; it’s absolute reality. Howard was the Lakers’ preferred pick in 2022 before Ham was hired. Howard wanted to stay at Michigan, but the Lakers hired the well-regarded assistant from Mike Budenholzer’s staff. Howard now has no position to fall back on, and the Lakers will most likely hunt for a new head coach. The stars are aligning for Howard to be the next Lakers coach, and his comments about entering the NBA only add to that reality.
It is unclear whether he would make an effective coach. He is a former player, which is useful when LeBron James is on the squad, but he did not have much success at Michigan. After failing to turn that programme around, it’s difficult to see how he might be a magical fix at the NBA level. However, with no other home-run candidates standing out, the Lakers may simply choose the most comfortable option.