If the Lakers Decide to Fire Darvin Ham, the Coach Candidates the FO Should Pursue

The LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has shown full support to coach Darvin Ham before, but with the latest stepbacks the team has suffered, with rumors of a broken locker room and the pressure of the NBA media, things could change soon as the team now has a 17-17 records 34 games in the season.

The team is sitting in the 9th seed in the Western Conference and while a mid-season firing of a coach can be tough, many believe it would be the right move by the front office regarding head coach Darvin Ham. The number of candidates isn't as plentiful but some options could still feel the sit if needed.

If the Lakers do decide to fire Darvin Ham they should 1000% target Nuggets Asst. Coach David Adelman. Apart from one of the best coaching staffs in the NBA, an X's & O's genius.

Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer is a candidate for the Lakers. Budenholzer was fired by the Bucks this past offseason after a disappointing playoff run. However, Budenholzer has plenty of experience and has proven to be a championship coach as he led Milwaukee to win the title in 2021. Another candidate LA could consider is Doc Rivers. Rivers has extensive experience as a head coach in the NBA. Rivers' first head coaching gig was with the Orlando Magic from 1999 to 2003. He earned the Coach of the Year award in 2000.

Phil Handy an inside solution for the LA Lakers

Phil Handy was a part of the coaching staff when the Cavaliers came back from 3-1 in the NBA Finals to win the championship in 2016. He then spent the 2018-19 season with the Toronto Raptors, who won the title. Handy then returned to LA, being an assistant on the coaching staff for the Lakers 2019-20 title, and has remained with the team since. Handy has years of experience working with this team and would be the best internal candidate if the Lakers fire Ham.