Western Conference team tried to hire Darvin Ham

Nov 30, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham at a press conference during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Darvin Ham may have been fired by the Los Angeles Lakers after two seasons as their head coach, but he’s still desired by other teams for an assistant role.

NBA reporter Marc Stein reported in his column on Sunday that the Phoenix Suns tried to hire Ham to work on Mike Budenholzer’s staff.

Ham apparently did not feel the need to jump back into coaching immediately and declined. Ham turning down the spot on Budenholzer’s staff apparently led the team to hire David Fizdale.

Ham also reportedly has received interest from the Golden State Warriors, though he has not joined their team.

At the rate NBA teams cycle through head coaches these days, there’s nothing to say Ham won’t be considered for future head coach jobs. That could be why the 50-year-old is not rushing to drop back down to an assistant role.

Ham led the Lakers to the playoffs in both of his seasons on the job. The team lost to the Denver Nuggets in the postseason both years.