The Sacramento Kings will explore every avenue they can to get back to the postseason. Obviously getting either better players and/or more rotation players is a must, adding experience to a coaching staff is also part of that equation. Enter Darvin Ham.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported via his X account that the Lakers have parted ways with Darvin Ham shortly after the Denver Nuggets eliminated them from the first round. However, Wojnarowski added more intriguing details surrounding Ham's future, including that he will be in the running for head coaching gigs.
Reporting for @SportsCenter on ESPN’s breaking news of the Lakers dismissing Darvin Ham pic.twitter.com/R52nLkjtNp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 3, 2024
However, given how recent the firing has been, Ham hasn't been linked to any jobs yet. Out of pure speculation, who knows how long it will be before he gets another head coaching gig? If he needs a place to prove himself, the Kings could add him in a "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" situation.
Darvin Ham has a track record as an assistant coach
Despite the turmoil that went on for the Lakers - which goes beyond Ham's influence - Ham still helped them make a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023. That's not bad for someone who was a first-timer as a head coach. Especially knowing that the Lakers missed the postseason the previous year.
However, Ham also thrived as an assistant in the past. The former NBA player was an assistant coach when the Bucks rose to become the contenders they hadn't come close to for decades. He helped Mike Budenholzer and co win their first title since 1971. While he may not have been the main reason why the Bucks went all the way, he played a part.
If that's not enough, Ham has been part of Mike Brown's coaching staff in the past. Ham was an assistant coach for Brown back when the latter coaches the Lakers himself. The two are clearly familiar with each other, which could prove to be a beneficiary partnership for the Kings.
So Ham has proven himself to be of use as an assistant coach in the past, and he has experience playing under Brown. However, the biggest appal to him would be that the Kings could help Ham in his hopes of becoming a head coach again. While he wouldn't replace Brown, bringing his expertise to a playoff hopeful like the Kings could restore his credibility as a coach.
Assistant coaches, whether they have experience as a head coach or not, do this in the hopes of getting up to that level. They help teams reach their goals. Charles Lee and Sam Cassell both have extensive experience with coaching and have been interviewed for head coaching jobs. They joined Joe Mazzulla's staff in Boston to help the Celtics' hopes of winning a title, but there's more to it than that.
They also joined the staff because if they can help the Celtics win a championship, that makes their resume look much better when other head coaching gigs open up. Mike Brown did this too when he was an assistant for Steve Kerr on the Warriors before the Kings hired him.
It's very possible Ham might get another head coaching job in the coming months. However, it's also possible he may have to be relegated to an assistant for the time being. If he's looking for an assistant head coaching job that would help his chances of calling the shots again, the Kings could very well provide that for him.