Lakers: LA Insider Lists Two Coaching Candidates as Current Front-Runners

The Athletic's Jovan Buha thinks Darvin Ham and Terry Stotts are near the top of the list for the Lakers head coaching job.

General manager Rob Pelinka promised a "methodical" head coaching search and he, and the rest of the Lakers brain-trust, are certainly delivering on that promise. The Lakers have already interviewed a few candidates, including Mark Jackson, Adrian Griffin, Darvin Ham, and Terry Stotts.

On Thursday, The Athletic's Jovan Buha suggested that Ham and Stotts are somewhat favorites for the job, at the moment.

"The Lakers have already been linked to over a dozen candidates for their head-coaching vacancy, but none of them have emerged as a clear front-runner yet. Ham and Terry Stotts are probably the closest to current favorites."

Ham served as an assistant coach for the Lakers for two seasons (2011-2013) before joining Mike Budenholzer's staff in Atlanta. When the Hawks fried Budenholzer in April of 2018, Ham followed Coach Bud to Milwaukee. 

Although Ham doesn't have any head coaching experience, ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz stated that the Bucks assistant was previously on LeBron's "approved" list of candidates when Ham applied for the Lakers gig in 2019.

“I know as a source that he was on the OK list of the LeBron James-Rich Paul (group) last time..."

As for Stotts, the former head coach spent nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, but was fired last summer after Portland lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. Stotts previously coached for the Milwaukee Bucks (2005-2007) and the Atlanta Hawks (2002-2004. 

He did not coach this past season, but by all indications, is very much interested in returning to the NBA head coaching ranks.

Pelinka mentioned in an April press conference that the Lakers would like to have a coach in place by the NBA Draft this June.

Perhaps the Lakers front office wants to ensure that their new head coach gets used to watching drafts without the Lakers making a single pick.