The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2023-24 NBA season hasn’t gotten off to the hottest of starts.
Last year L.A. made a late run after the NBA Trade Deadline and eventually got all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Although they were ultimately swept by the Denver Nuggets, the hope was that the franchise had something to build on.
Unfortunately, it appears whatever momentum was gained late last season has officially been lost. Twenty-nine games into the season the Lakers find themselves 15-14 and sitting ninth in the West. Even the Houston Rockets are above them.
For obvious reasons a lot of blame for Los Angeles’ woes has fallen on the shoulders of head coach Darvin Ham. Charles Barkley has taken shots at him. Fans have, too. And there is a reason ownership badly wanted one other person to fill the spot they eventually gave Ham.
Ham is currently on a four-year deal that keeps him in L.A. until 2026, but obviously that doesn’t mean anything. If the front office wants to make a change – they will.
This week, odds emerged who would replace Ham in the event the Lakers fired him. Two clear frontrunners stood above all others: assistant coach Phil Handy and Michigan head coach Juwan Howard.
Odds for the next head coach of the Lakers according to @BovadaOfficial
Phil Handy: +350
Juwan Howard: +600
Jared Dudley: +750
Kenny Atkinson: +750
Sam Cassell: +750
Jamahl Mosley: +800
Quin Snyder: +800
JB Bickerstaff: +1000
Steve Clifford: +1000
Mike Brown: +1600
Billy… pic.twitter.com/kRpXlm6IjJ— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 22, 2023
Both men have been linked to the Lakers’ head coaching vacancies in the past, and both seem to be contenders now.
Ham has gone 58-53 in 111 games as Lakers coach over the past two years.
Brittany Mahomes’ Tipping Behavior Causes A Stir (Video): https://t.co/8jJ5fjSp3v
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 23, 2023
When you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on your roster, that simply isn’t good enough.
Will the Lakers opt to make a coaching change at some point this season and give Ham his walking papers? Time will tell.
Related: 3 Donovan Mitchell Trade Frontrunners Emerge Amid Cavaliers Rumors
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
