Could former Lakers HC Darwin Ham return as head coach this year?

Last offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers made the decision to move on from former head coach Darwin Ham despite seeing success with the team. Ham led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals in his first season, but his second year was a bit shaky.

Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round of the postseason after a troubling year filled with strange coaching decisions. The team decided it was best to part ways and replaced him with former NBA guard JJ Redick.

But Ham didn’t just stay out of basketball and returned to the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach under Doc Rivers. He was part of the Bucks organization before the Lakers hired him as head coach and helped Milwaukee win the title in 2021.

However, his homecoming did not go well, as the Bucks started the season with a 1–5 record. They have lost five games in a row after winning the season opener and appear to be gaining momentum.

While that blame doesn’t fall on Ham, it could give him a chance to move back into the background. If the Bucks decide to part ways with Rivers, Ham would be the logical choice to be the new head coach.

Milwaukee has shown no signs of firing Rivers, but if this decline continues, they may have no choice. The Bucks haven’t performed well over the last year or two, so there could be another change in the leadership of the coaching staff.

Additionally, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly played a big role in Ham’s return to the Bucks this offseason. He praised the Lakers for hiring him in the first place, and if Antetokounmpo signs an agreement for Ham to take over, Milwaukee could pull the trigger.

I’ve recently spoken with several NBA sources since former Lakers HC Darwin Ham joined the Bucks.
They were adamant that Giannis Antetokounmpo had a big hand in hiring Ham (shocking, right?).
Some of the same sources also claim that Ham, who had offers from several other teams,…

— Gery Woelfel (@GeryWoelfel) June 19, 2024

While many Lakers fans weren’t happy with Ham, it looks like the Bucks might feel differently about him. He has a chance to work as a head coach in the NBA, and he could use that to his advantage if given another opportunity.

The Bucks will likely have to make a significant trade-off for Ham, but based on the start of their season, that’s a possibility. Ham showed some promise with the Lakers, but ultimately couldn’t handle the pressure of being a top player in Los Angeles.

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