LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Boston Celtics star might want to play for the Purple and Gold down the line, Darvin Ham making adjustments in his coaching staff, and more - June 9th, 2022
It is not a good time to be an LA Lakers fan right now as two of their long-time rivals - the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics - are currently competing in the NBA Finals. Although Lakers Nation has animosity towards both teams, they would rather have Steph Curry win his fourth ring than Boston one-upping them for their 18th title.
The LA Lakers are making major news despite not even making the NBA playoffs. They hired a new head coach, Darvin Ham, and he has started to impact the franchise in a major way. From restructuring the bench to improving the players' roles, Ham is expected to improve the Lakers' campaign from last year.
Let's dive into a few rumors around the Purple and Golds from the last 24 hours.
Former LA Lakers coach Frank Vogel might be up for the Utah Jazz head coaching job
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, former Lakers championship coach Frank Vogel might be up for a job at Salt Lake City. The Utah Jazz parted ways with long-time head coach Quin Snyder after eight seasons and are in the market for a worthy replacement. Vogel is known for his defensive strategies and defense-first mindset, so he would fit in the Jazz locker room quite well.
Vogel won a title with the LA Lakers in 2020 and will likely coach against them if he gets the job with the Jazz. He was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic before working in Los Angeles and after assistant coaching stints in Boston, Philadelphia, and Indiana.
Two more candidates expected to interview for Utah’s coaching job, sources tell ESPN: Frank Vogel and Jazz assistant Lamar Skeeter. twitter.com/wojespn/status…
Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum might want to join the rivals later in his career
Jayson Tatum was a huge LA Lakers fan who grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant. He, unfortunately, never got a chance to play against the Black Mamba as he was drafted after his retirement but he dreamt of playing for the Purple and Gold.
Tatum once recreated the iconic game-winner by Bryant against Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade. He has always loved playing at the Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, as the late great Kobe Bryant's jersey hangs in the rafters.
Incredibly, the Lakers had the 2nd pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and Tatum was selected 3rd overall by the Boston Celtics. The LA Lakers picked Lonzo Ball instead. Tatum recalled the night he missed out on the opportunity to play for LA, saying:
"The Lakers were my favorite team, and Kobe was my favorite player.. So it was crazy that the Lakers had the second pick and I was so close to a dream come true. But it was just like they didn't want anything to do with me at the time."
Tatum talked about missing out on his dream of playing on the Lakers.
More on this story from @ramonashelburne and @MerrillLiz: es.pn/3H1nb76 https://t.co/fE5FI3M741
Darvin Ham restructures his coaching staff ahead of next season
New LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham is reportedly already making huge changes in the locker room and the bench. He is not going to continue with the same coaching staff and wants one to be built around him that will best suit his needs.
Ham has been in the NBA for years and knows several assistants around the league. The only two assistants he is reportedly retaining are Phil Handy and Quinton Crawford.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski, Ham announced on Tuesday that he informed several staff members that they will not return next season. ESPN reported:
"New Lakers coach Darvin Ham started to shape his coaching staff by informing assistants David Fizdale, Mike Penberty and John Lucas III on Tuesday that they will not be retained, sources told ESPN. Ham will assimilate assistant coaches Phil Handy and Quinton Crawford as holdovers from coach Frank Vogel's staff, sources told ESPN."
Ham has been discussing assistant coaching roles with several possible candidates around the league, sources tell ESPN. That’s a process that’s expected to be ongoing for weeks. twitter.com/mcten/status/1…