The Milwaukee Bucks moved swiftly to bring in Taylor Jenkins as their new head coach. Their coaching moves may not be finished, however, with both Rajon Rondo and Darvin Ham quietly making noise on the coaching carousel, with the latter seriously impressing the New Orleans Pelicans in their search for a new head coach.
Darvin Ham impresses New Orleans Pelicans
Per Jake Fischer (subscription required), Ham made a strong impression during the Pelicans round of interviews, where they spoke to both Bucks coaches in their search for a new chief. Ham had reportedly been a candidate to take the Bucks helm, but bringing in Jenkins could mean Ham looks elsewhere for another shot as a head coach in the NBA.
Many felt that Ham was hard done by during his time as Lakers head coach, holding a 90-74 record in two seasons, along with a Conference Finals appearance in his first season. He went into a pressure cooker with the Lakers as they looked to continue challenging following their title win in 2020. New Orleans would put Ham in a far less pressurized position, and as the team looks to rebuild, will likely have more time to implement and build out his ideal team.
New Orleans has a talented roster in its own right. Zion Williamson played in 62 games this season, the second most of his career, with rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen making positive starts to their careers in the league. The building blocks are there, but it may take a couple of seasons to see them back amongst the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference.
Rajon Rondo could fill the Darvin Ham void
Rondo came in early this season to be a part of Doc Rivers coaching staff, having served under the coach during the Boston Celtics' triumph in 2008. He could easily step into the role that Ham currently serves, with Rondo already embedded within the team, and able to be a really good point guard mentor for someone like Ryan Rollins, who will only benefit from those conversations.
We have seen JJ Redick take on a head coaching role with no prior coaching experience in the NBA, but that was partially down to his relationship with LeBron James and the Lakers. For Rondo, teams will likely be back next summer when he has another season of experience under his belt, and perhaps is promoted in the Bucks' coaching staff and takes on more responsibilities.
There is instant credibility with Rondo; his playing career is very highly regarded throughout the league. His presence in what will be a younger locker room for the Bucks will be huge, and his current relationships will help the transition to Jenkins go smoothly. It is unlikely that Rondo gets a head coaching role this summer, but if Ham does move on, then he should be the first in line to take on the associate head coaching position.
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