Milwaukee Bucks: Darvin Ham in final round of interviews for LA Lakers job

The Milwaukee Bucks have two of the hottest names on the coaching market in Darvin Ham and Charles Lee, and traction seems to be picking up regarding their potential next opportunities.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ham has reached the final round of interviews for the Los Angeles Lakers’ vacant head coaching position. Wojnarowski also added that Terry Stotts has reached this stage as well. Ham has been linked to Los Angeles for weeks now after their firing of Frank Vogel, and it looks like they are seriously considering hiring him to be the next leader of the franchise following a tough 2021-22 NBA season.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania has added that the three finalists for LA’s coaching job include Ham, Stotts, and Kenny Atkinson and that interviews are set to take place in Los Angeles soon.

Reactions to Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham reaching the final round of interviews for the Los Angeles Lakers coaching job

Between this and the news that Darvin Ham would be getting a second interview for the opening with the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee’s top assistant has been busy lately. While nothing is set in stone at this time, it feels likely that he will land one of these two head coaching jobs. The former NBA Champion has been viewed as among the top assistants across the league for years now, and despite striking out on previous head coaching opportunities in the past, some teams are rightfully giving him some serious consideration this time around.

For the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening, they have the pieces in place to be a desirable destination for a first-time head coach like Darvin Ham. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and potentially former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook – depending on whether or not they trade him this offseason – make for a star-studded Big 3 and would give Ham the chance to contend immediately. Another clear reason why Ham makes sense for the Lakers is because of his emphasis on defense, which was a major factor in why the Lakers struggled so much this past season. Getting a defensive-minded coach in there to help give that team an identity defensively makes sense, and Ham seems like the perfect candidate for the head coaching job.

Ham also has ties to the LA organization as he served as an assistant coach there from 2011 to 2013, so seeing him get his first head coaching opportunity there would bring things full circle.

While things appear to be heating up between Ham and the Lakers, the Hornets could also still be firmly lodged in the bid for his services. They have shown interest in Ham from the beginning, and their second interview with him suggests that he is among their top candidates at this time. Only time will tell how things pan out, but it seems likely that Ham could be on the sidelines in either Los Angeles or Charlotte next season.

For now, best of luck, Darvin!

Stay tuned to see what happens with the Milwaukee Bucks’ top assistant coach as his name continues to surface in the rumor mill.