Mike D’Antoni’s staff continues to evolve; Ham out, Lewis in

The Lakers’ final non-Mike D’Antoni assistant coach left over the weekend as Darvin Ham joined the Atlanta Hawks under Coach Mike Budenholzer.

“Darvin has a great feel for the game and knows what it takes for a team to be successful and compete at a high level,� Budenholzer said in a prepared statement. “He was a smart player who played with intensity and toughness every night and he has gone about coaching the same way.�

Dan D’Antoni, brother to Coach Mike D’Antoni, is the only holdover from last season after the Lakers let both Chuck Person and Bernie Bickerstaff go. Phil Handy joined Mike Brown’s staff in Cleveland, while Eddie Jordan took the head position at Rutgers.

Steve Clifford, who joined the Lakers for a season after a coaching Dwight Howard in Orlando, was recently named the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Lakers have been linked to Alvin Gentry to rejoin D’Antoni after a successful working relationship together with the Phoenix Suns. Gentry is interviewing for a head coaching position but if nothing materializes, he could very well end up on the Lakers’ bench.

According to Mark Medina of the Daily News, the Lakers recently hired Larry Lewis as a player-development coach.

Lewis previously worked with the D-Fenders, and fills one of two player-development positions under D’Antoni.

The Lakers’ coach is expected to add on two additional bench assistants in addition to his brother Dan.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.