After the Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham on Friday, we're breaking down the Lakers next coach odds from our best NBA betting sites with Mike Budenholzer and Kenny Atkinson as the early favorites.
What felt like an inevitability became a reality on Friday, when the Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham after two seasons at the helm. And all eyes are on his potential replacement.
Our best sports betting sites have already tabbed Mike Budenholzer as the early favorite to replace Ham, who coached as an assistant under Budenholzer for nine seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. He's one of the reported front-runners in the Lakers' search, according to The Athletic:
Here's a look at the Lakers next coach odds with implied probability via our odds converter, as well as our top NBA picks among the favorites:
Los Angeles Lakers next coach odds
(Odds as of May 3)
| Coach | Odds | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Budenholzer | +275 | 26.67% |
| Kenny Atkinson | +275 | 26.67% |
| JJ Redick | +650 | 13.33% |
| Tyronn Lue | +800 | 11.11% |
| Phil Handy | +1000 | 9.09% |
| Terry Stotts | +1000 | 9.09% |
| Quin Snyder | +1200 | 7.69% |
| Sam Cassell | +1400 | 6.67% |
| Steve Clifford | +1400 | 6.67% |
| Jared Dudley | +1600 | 5.88% |
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Other candidates:
- Billy Donovan (+2000)
- Mark Jackson (+2000)
- JB Bickerstaff (+3000)
- Jamahl Mosley (+3000)
- Mike Brown (+3000)
- Chris Finch (+5000)
- Rajon Rondo (+5000)
- Jeff Van Gundy (+6000)
- Stan Van Gundy (+6000)
- Juwan Howard (+10000)
- LeBron James (+10000)
Favorites to be next Lakers coach
Budenholzer is the most accomplished coach on the open market, having twice won NBA Coach of the Year (2015, 2019) with a 484-317 record (.604) across 10 seasons with the Bucks and Hawks.
He also won a title with the Bucks in 2021, though his overall postseason record (56-48) remains a point of criticism for the vet eran coach, whose teams were upset by a lower seed in four of his nine playoff appearances. He was often panned for his unwillingness to adjust mid-series – a familiar complaint for Lakers fans after two seasons with Ham.
Still, if Los Angeles is looking for a big swing on a high-pedigree coach, it's hard to do better than Budenholzer. That's why he opened as the betting favorite and is a shortlisted candidate based on early reporting on the Lakers' opening.
Atkinson doesn't exactly have a flashy resume from his four seasons as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, posting a 118-190 record (.383) with just one playoff berth.
That said, the 56-year-old finished fifth in Coach of the Year voting in 2018-19 and remains among the most respected assistant coaches in the business. He's bided his time since getting the pink slip in Brooklyn, spending the last three years on the bench with the Golden State W arriors.
He's also on that aforementioned shortlist from The Athletic, which makes him an intriguing play at these +275 odds, which imply a 26.67% chance that he'd take over in Los Angeles. With a $10 bet returning a $37.50 total payout, there are worse bets to make.
Redick is easily the most intriguing name on this list, as the former 15-year NBA veteran has zero coaching experience and has spent the last few years cultivating his brand in the media space.
That includes launching the “Mind the Game” podcast with LeBron James less than two months ago, which certainly feels relevant as the Lakers attempt to keep the NBA's all-time scoring leader from leaving this offseason. It also feels like an implicit endorsement of Redick's basketball IQ in the eyes of Los Angeles' biggest star.
The obvious question is whether that translates into coaching acumen for the 39-year-old Red ick, who is just six months older than James and has never served in any sort of coaching capacity. His name has also been floated as a candidate for the Charlotte Hornets, which could drive leverage for this job, too.
Related: LeBron James next team odds, prediction for 2024-25 season
Long shots to be next Lakers coach
Tyronn Lue is one of the most respected coaches in the NBA, and the Los Angeles Clippers would seem foolish to dismiss him. If they do, though, he'd be a quintessential fit for their crosstown rivals.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers coach has a longstanding relationship with James, and he's proven himself beyond his time with The King, too, even with superstar injuries plaguing his Clippers tenure. James has been effusive in his support for Lue over the years and could use that as leverage with free agency looming.
Lue was the Lakers ' top target in 2019, per The Athletic, and the team would have “strong interest” if he becomes available. These +800 odds reflect the likelihood that he'll stick with his current job, but if he doesn't, he should be the favorite for this one.
At one point, Handy was the favorite to take over in the event of a Ham dismissal, and there have long been rumors that Los Angeles' players – including James – wanted the Lakers assistant to take over midseason.
While he's never been a head coach before, Handy has been an assistant in some capacity for 13 years, with nine of those coming alongside James in Cleveland and Los Angeles. He's also been vocal about wanting his shot as a head coach for years.
Could this finally be his time? While he wasn't mentioned as a top choice in that early report from The Athletic, he feels like a de facto “backup” option if the Lakers can't lure an outside can didate into the building. That alone makes Hardy an interesting bet at +1000, which would pay $110 total on a $10 ticket.
If the Lakers can't land one of their top available targets, it seems unlikely they'd be able to lure a currently employed coach – many of whom have recently signed extensions – to take over what is objectively a mediocre situation.
But what about Jackson? He interviewed for the job in 2022, and unlike a candidate like Redick or Handy, Jackson has experience as a head coach in the NBA. He went 121-109 (.526) in three seasons with the Warriors, but he famously went 9-10 in the playoffs immediately before Golden State blossomed into a dynasty.
That isn't exactly an endorsement of his coaching ability, though he was once among the favorites for this job and remains connected around the league. This is a long shot for a reason, but there's enough smoke here to keep an eye on it.
< h2 class=''>Lakers head coach FAQs
Mike Budenholzer and Kenny Atkinson are the co-favorites to be the next Lakers coach with +275 odds, which represents an implied probability of 26.67% that either coach would assume the vacant role in Los Angeles.
With the Lakers firing Ham on Friday in the midst of the NBA playoffs, there seemingly isn't a rush to fill the vacant role. That said, with the offseason around the corner, we can expect a hire to be made sometime this month.
The Lakers haven't won the NBA Finals since 2020, when Frank Vogel was the coach during the “bubble” postseason. That remains the only title run for this franchise since Phil Jackson led the Lakers to five championships between 2000 and 2010.
Los Angeles Lakers coaching history (since 1999-2000)
| Coach | Seasons | Record | Playoffs | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darvin Ham | 2022-24 | 90-74 (.549) | 9-12 (.429) | Zero |
| Frank Vogel | 2019-22 | 127-98 (.564) | 18-9 (.667) | One (2020) |
| Luke Walton | 2016-19 | 98-148 (.398) | 0-0 (.000) | Zero |
| Byron Scott | 2014-16 | 38-126 (.232) | 0-0 (.000) | Zero |
| Mike D'Antoni | 2012-14 | 67-87 (.435) | 0-4 (.000) | Zero |
| Bernie Bickerstaff | 2012-13 | 4-1 (.800) | 0-0 (.000) | Zero |
| Mike Brown | 2011-13 | 42-29 (.592) | 5-7 (.417) | Zero |
| Frank Hamblen | 2004-05 | 10-29 (.256) | 0-0 (.000) | Zero |
| Rudy Tomjanovich | 2004-05 | 24-19 (.558) | 0-0 (.000) | Zero |
| Phil Jackson | 1999-2011 | 610-292 (.676) | 118-63 (.652) | Five (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) |
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