Lakers make another big change after firing Darvin Ham

Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are really cleaning house even beyond the firing of head coach Darvin Ham.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers fired their entire coaching staff on Friday in addition to Ham. That includes assistant coach Phil Handy, who had been a holdover from Frank Vogel’s staff.

The Lakers have parted ways with the entire coaching staff beyond Darvin Ham, sources told ESPN, including Phil Handy – who coached under both Ham and Frank Vogel in L.A. The L.A. Times was first to report.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 3, 2024

In other words, the Lakers’ new coach will have an entirely clean slate. That is not necessarily the case all the time, as Ham retained a few Vogel assistants when he took over in 2022. It certainly suggests that the Lakers are serious about wholesale changes after their early playoff exit to the Denver Nuggets.

The move makes sense, as the Lakers appear to be eyeing experienced figures, including one former NBA champion, as Ham’s replacement.