The Milwaukee Bucks moved more swiftly than expected to make Taylor Jenkins their next head coach, locking up the most coveted candidate in the market. The hire also spells out the future of Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham. Rumored to be a candidate for the Milwaukee job, he has also been linked to the Pelicans in their own search. Now, with his options cut in half, Ham's next coaching opportunity appears obvious.Â
Darvin Ham and the Pelicans both seeking chance at revival
Like Jenkins, who spent six seasons in Memphis, Ham is also seeking a second chance at the helm. Taking over in New Orleans would place him in a less pressurized scenario than the one he inherited with the Lakers in 2022-23. Despite a 90-74 record, Ham lasted just two seasons before returning to an assistant role with the Bucks.Â
Now, after 13 career seasons in that position, including six during two separate stints in Milwaukee, he is once more looking for an upgrade.Â
The Pelicans won't contend for a title in 2026-27. The first step is simply getting back to the playoffs after winning 47 games total over the past two seasons. This season, New Orleans fired Willie Green after a 2-10 start, installing James Borrego as the interim coach for the rest of the season.Â
Borrego steered them to a 26-56 finish this season, good for 11th place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans evidently did not view him highly enough to hand him a permanent promotion without executing a larger search.Â
New Orleans gig would offer Ham low-stakes starting point this time around
Ham took on a Lakers roster led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, three seasons removed from its last championship and hungry for another. While he did get them to a Conference Finals (where they were swept), his teams underperformed relative to high expectations.Â
The Pelicans roster is well-stocked with talent of its own, but the entire team has been bizarrely plagued by injuries in recent years. The face of the franchise, Zion Williamson, can't stay on the floor. For roster-building purposes, New Orleans doesn't have a first-round pick this year after trading it to the Hawks during the 2025 NBA Draft. The organization is in a weird spot.
Ham would be walking into a suboptimal scenario, true, but it's probably as good a second chance as he will get. Whoever takes the job should be granted a year or two to turn things around. Standards in New Orleans will be different, expectations tempered. The lights won't shine nearly so bright. James won't be looming over Ham's shoulder, fuming over playcalls.Â
On the whole, the position isn't altogether unappealing. The Pelicans have a tantalizing forward duo in Trey Murphy and Herb Jones. Guard Jeremiah Fears, last year's seventh overall draft pick, and center Derik Queen, the No. 12 pick, each enjoyed promising rookie seasons. Williamson's athletic dominance is ever-enticing.
The talent is there. The key is finding the right coach to unlock it. It won't be with the Bucks, but good luck to Ham if he indeed gets the gig in New Orleans.
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