The biggest moment of Juwan Howard’s coaching career happened back in February when he was involved in a brawl with Wisconsin head coach, Greg Gard.
After a brutal loss and some questionable decisions by Gard, Howard lost his cool when the Wisconsin coach grabbed his arm after the game.
The whole thing blew up, and Howard was handed down punishment by his bosses.
Curiously, despite the ordeal, Howard remains a favorite to take the Lakers’ head coaching position thanks to his relationship with LeBron James that he formed during his stint in Miami.
The search for Vogel’s successor is widely expected to move slower than most because the Lakers need to find an established coach who can win LeBron James’ buy-in. The most capable coaches are obviously employed elsewhere already.
Michigan’s Juwan Howard is known to hold James’ respect after their time together in Miami but is said to be firm in his desire to stay with the Wolverines to coach sons Jace and Jett. Toronto’s Nick Nurse and Snyder — also frequently cited as candidates for the post — are not currently available, so pursuing them (or others under contract) comes with complications.
He also apparently has a relationship with Rob Pelinka as well. A few weeks ago, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus dropped his update on the Howard situation.
The Lakers do not seem interested in saddling a first-time coach with championship expectations. That may not apply to Juwan Howard, who has ties to Pelinka and James, was an assistant with the Miami Heat and previously interviewed with the franchise in 2019. While the Lakers may have interest in Howard, it’s unclear if he’s open to leaving Michigan with two of his sons on next year’s roster.
The only thing that has remained consistent in L.A.’s coaching search so far is that they are looking for someone experienced and well respected. Howard is that guy, and so too are other candidates like Quin Snyder and Mark Jackson.
Wile Howard remains a longshot to leave Michigan, the Lakers will look at every option this offseason to decide for themselves who is the best fit to lead their crew. It could very well be the most important decision they make over the next few months.
