Darvin Ham skipped opportunity to coach Kevin Durant despite Mike Budenholzer's pitch: Report
Following his dismissal as head coach of the LA Lakers last month, Darvin Ham reportedly received an assistant coaching offer from another Western Conference contender. However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Ham turned it down, citing his grueling two-year Lakers tenure.
Ham was fired on May 3 following LA's 4-1 first-round playoff series loss to the Denver Nuggets. He finished with a respectable 90-74 record over two seasons, guiding the Lakers to the postseason both years. That includes last year's surprise West finals run.
Nonetheless, Ham's time with LA was constantly clouded by questions about his competence, particularly his ability to make in-game adjustments. Meanwhile, many speculated about a potential growing rift between him and superstar forward LeBron James.
According to Stein, shortly after Ham's firing, he was offered an assistant coaching position on newly hired Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer's staff. However, Stein noted that Ham declined Budenholzer's pitch due to fatigue from spending two years under the microscope with LA.
"League sources say Budenholzer made a run at trying to convince Darvin Ham to join his staff in Phoenix. But Ham—fired as Lakers coach on May 3—is said to have understandably passed after two exacting seasons in Lakerland," Stein wrote in his latest Substack newsletter.
Before receiving his first head coaching opportunity with the Lakers, Darvin Ham spent nine years (2013-2022) serving under Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. The coaching duo guided Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA title, so they are very familiar with each other.
Taking an assistant coaching position with Phoenix would have allowed Ham to coach two more of the league's premier superstars, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. He may have also gotten a chance to get revenge against LA in a potential playoff showdown.
However, it appears the 50-year-old would prefer to take some time away from coaching before deciding his next move.
Phoenix Suns reportedly retained David Fizdale after Darvin Ham declined assistant coaching offer
Darvin Ham declining an assistant coaching position with Phoenix reportedly paved the way for a big-name Suns assistant to retain his job.
Following head coach Frank Vogel's May 9 firing, TNT/Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported that Phoenix would hire an entirely new coaching staff.
The Suns purportedly offered veteran assistant David Fizdale a front office job so they could try to retain him. However, according to Stein, Fizdale was "asked to stay on as an assistant coach on Budenholzer's new staff" after Ham's decision.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Fizdale accepted the offer and will return for a second season with Phoenix in a "prominent assistant coaching role."
Like Ham, Fizdale is a former head coach, spending time helming the Memphis Grizzlies (2016-2017) and New York Knicks (2018-19). The 49-year-old also won two championships as an assistant with the Miami Heat (2012 and 2013). So, despite missing out on Ham, Budenholzer landed an experienced right-hand man as he gets set to begin his Suns coaching tenure.
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