4. Darvin Ham
If Darvin Ham’s name feels a little unexpected among the leading Pelicans coaching candidates, it’s not coming out of nowhere. There is a real connective thread through Joe Dumars. Ham spent time within the Detroit Pistons organization as a player during Dumars’ tenure, creating a level of familiarity that matters in these hiring cycles. That alone places him firmly in the dark horse category. He’s recently out of a job after the Milwaukee Bucks parted with Doc Rivers’ coaching staff.
Ham’s two-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers tells the more important story. On paper, a Western Conference Finals appearance stands out. But the experience itself was far less convincing. As a first-time head coach, he was tasked with managing a volatile environment built around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the role often looked a step ahead of him. Rotations were inconsistent, adjustments came late, and the offensive identity never fully settled.
That context matters when projecting him onto New Orleans. This is not a clean roster. It’s a team that will require creative, out-of-the-box solutions to balance its flaws. Ham, at this stage, profiles as more of a steady, run-of-the-mill coach than an inventive one. His strengths lean toward structure and accountability, but New Orleans needs more than that. It needs a coach who can reshape problems into advantages, not just manage them.
