The Lakers announced the expected hire of Darvin Ham as head coach Friday, officially ending their highly-publicized search for a new leader.
Ham, 48, emerged as the top candidate after L.A. gauged with several candidates following the firing of Frank Vogel on April 11. However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the former Bucks assistant was not considered the Lakers’ top choice for the position as the club reportedly preferred Michigan coach Juwan Howard, 49, during the interview process.
“According to the latest buzz in league coaching circles, Michigan’s Juwan Howard was the Lakers’ preferred candidate among the various coaches to whom they were linked who were under contract elsewhere and thus ultimately unavailable — ahead of Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers and Utah’s Quin Snyder,” Stein wrote.