Lakers 'fire coach Darvin Ham over the PHONE after NBA playoffs exit... with JJ Redick among candidates to join LA'

The Lakers have reportedly fired coach Darvin Ham following Los Angeles' defeat by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs.

According to ESPN, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told Ham of the team's decision during a phone call. 

The Athletic reports that an extensive search for Ham's replacement will soon begin, with Mike Budenholzer, Kenny Atkinson, JJ Redick and Clippers coach Ty Lue among the names in the frame.

Ham led Los Angeles to the Western Conference finals less than a year ago in his first season as an NBA head coach. He had replaced Frank Vogel, who was fired by the Lakers exactly 18 months after winning the franchise's 17th championship in 2020.

With little time left to capitalize on the concurrent presence of Anthony Davis and 39-year-old LeBron James - who hasn´t decided whether to return for his 22nd NBA season - the Lakers are resetting their coaching staff once again instead of blaming general manager Rob Pelinka for his roster construction.

The Lakers have reportedly fired coach Darvin Ham following their defeat in the NBA playoffs

LeBron James is reportedly waiting to see who the Lakers hire before deciding his future

Ham presided over a disappointing year for the Lakers, who went 47-35 in the regular season but won the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament. 

The Lakers then beat New Orleans in a play-in game to move up to the seventh seed in the highly competitive Western Conference - but that meant they had to face Denver, which swept them out of the playoffs last season.

Los Angeles led the defending champion Nuggets for long stretches of their first-round series, but Nikola Jokic and his teammates eventually rolled into the second round with a series of comeback wins.

The Lakers' failure stung because James and Davis were largely healthy all year long, with both superstars playing more games than they had managed in an NBA season since 2017-18 - 76 for Davis and 71 for James, the leading scorer in NBA history.

D'Angelo Russell also had a strong regular season, setting the franchise record for 3-pointers.

That health and success only translated into a four-win improvement in the standings from last season, and Ham received much of the blame from fans and observers for his game management, slow tactical adjustments and a reluctance to change his player rotations and starting lineups, even when things weren't working.

The Lakers only went 43-39 in their first season under Ham in 2022-23, but they capitalized on more favorable playoff matchups.

After beating Minnesota in a play-in game, they won playoff series against Memphis and Golden State to reach the conference finals, where they were swept by Denver.

Los Angeles led the defending champion Nuggets for long stretches but couldn't hold on

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss will be hiring team's fourth head coach since James arrived in 2018

James, Davis and the Lakers have failed to win a playoff round in three of their four seasons since winning the 2020 championship in the Florida bubble.

Ham had two years left on his contract with the Lakers, who will be hiring their fourth head coach since James arrived in 2018. The new coach will be the Lakers' eighth in 14 seasons since Hall of Famer Phil Jackson's departure in 2011.

Ham had an eight-year playing career in the NBA as an athletic forward, winning a championship with Detroit in 2004. 

He got his first NBA assistant coaching job with the Lakers in 2011, and he was Mike Budenholzer´s assistant in Atlanta and Milwaukee for nine seasons - winning a second championship ring with the Bucks in 2021 - before returning to the Lakers as their head coach.

James has a $51.4million player option for next season, and his decision hangs over every offseason move for the Lakers, who internally expect him to return.

Pelinka then must determine whether he can make the long-anticipated move for a third superstar through trades, or whether he believes the assertions by Rui Hachimura and other role players that the Lakers can become a contender with more continuity.