The topic of Darvin Ham’s future came up time and again throughout the Lakers’ season. Now—after a first-round exit to the Nuggets sent them home empty-handed—insider Shams Charania offered troubling new insight on the first year coach’s standing within the organization:
“…by the time the Lakers’ season ended in Game 5 against Denver on Monday night,…there were strong signs within the organization that Ham would be deemed most responsible.”
Lakers Rumors: Darvin Ham’s Future After Team’s Early Exit
Lakers to Reassess Ham’s Future: “Serious Peril”
Charania added that the decision on whether to retain Ham—who is in the middle of a four-year contract with a 90-74 overall record—won’t come right away, a disappointment for Lakers fans who hoped his exit would be as quick as Frank Vogel’s was in 2022.
“The Lakers’ unflattering finish leaves Ham’s future as head coach in serious peril, multiple league and team sources tell The Athletic, with some stakeholders indicating it’s highly unlikely he’ll return. The plan is to reassess everything that went wrong in the coming days before making a final decision.”
Ham briefly—and vaguely—addressed his own future during his postgame media availability:
“It’s been a hell of a two years sitting in this seat, I’ll tell you that. It’s been a hell of a two years.” – Darvin Ham
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 30, 2024
Darvin Ham says he will "continue to work and get better and control what I can control" when discussing his future.
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) April 30, 2024
The Athletic’s reporting also noted that the Lakers’ disastrous game 2 was a “final straw of sorts,” adding to the contrast during Ham’s first two years in LA. Whereas the first year made him seem like a true leader, this past season appeared to show a more player-driven culture. As one player told Charania: “We need to be coached, too.”
And amid all of this, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone made sure to give credit where it was due when discussing Ham and the Lakers—a far cry from his boastful attitude last year.
Michael Malone: “I think Darvin Ham is a hell of a coach. That’s not an easy job. I think Darvin does it with class. He’s a good man, good coach, and I wish him all the best. Hopefully, he’ll be around there for a long time because he deserves to be.” pic.twitter.com/PJsDU6qfMF
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) April 30, 2024
Coaches are always very hyper-aware of the rumor mill, and always protective of each other. AK https://t.co/mSq3Oxl9BY
— Kamenetzky Brothers (@KamBrothers) April 30, 2024
Writing on the Wall?
The Lakers’ choice to reassess Ham’s future is expected, given his popularity among LA’s brass. However, others would argue that the writing’s been on the wall this entire time. From inconsistent rotations to poor decision-making—and the growing rumors of a player-coach disconnect—Ham’s actions have led to this very moment.
Ham’s unpopularity with fans is well-documented. Activity on social media during any Lakers game will inevitably lead to many “Fire Darvin” tweets during those two and a half hours. Some members of Laker Nation present at Crypto.com Arena chanted that same phrase during LA’s game 3 loss. The discourse was active as ever Monday night, with the latest reports giving them hope after an otherwise dreadful season.
But while fans—and sometimes the players themselves—blamed Ham for the team’s struggles, sources told Charania that the coach “rarely, if ever, publicly cited the fault of his schemes, game planning or rotations.” It’s ironic considering that one of the tenets of Ham’s coaching philosophy is accountability.
The Lakers will take everything into account when evaluating Ham’s status with the franchise. However, they may not have to look far to see where the mistakes were made.
Potential Candidate
There is constant chatter over who is next in line if Lakers fans get their wish. Aside from assistant coach Phil Handy—who may be the exception to the “no more first-time head coaches” argument—another leader with Milwaukee ties could be an option.
We're probably going to hear Mike Budenholzer's name a lot if the Lakers are starting a coaching search in the next few weeks.
He's not off the table or anything… I think his relationship with Darvin makes him a less than likely choice. https://t.co/7BeUiEI4uC
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) April 30, 2024
The Last Word
With the Lakers now out of the picture, the only things fans will focus on in the coming months will be the futures of Ham and LeBron James— the latter of which opens up a whole other can of worms. The latest reporting is the first of many signs that changes are in order. Perhaps the team will take a serious step towards getting back into championship contention.
