{"id":75513,"date":"2024-04-30T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=75513"},"modified":"2024-04-30T03:05:33","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T07:05:33","slug":"lakers-rumors-darvin-hams-future-after-teams-early-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/04\/30\/lakers-rumors-darvin-hams-future-after-teams-early-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Rumors: Darvin Ham&#8217;s Future After Team&#8217;s Early Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The topic of Darvin Ham\u2019s future came up time and again throughout the Lakers\u2019 season. Now\u2014after a first-round exit to the Nuggets sent them home empty-handed\u2014insider <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShamsCharania\/status\/1785179872308105633\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shams Charania offered troubling new insight<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the first year coach\u2019s standing within the organization:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c&#8230;b<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">y the time the Lakers\u2019 season ended in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/nba\/game\/denver-nuggets-vs-los-angeles-lakers\/KnjDnq0FuK8ZBDi0\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Game 5 against Denver on Monday night<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,&#8230;there were strong signs within the organization that Ham would be deemed most responsible.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Lakers Rumors: Darvin Ham&#8217;s Future After Team&#8217;s Early Exit<\/h2>\n<h3><b>Lakers to Reassess Ham\u2019s Future: \u201cSerious Peril\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charania added that the decision on whether to retain Ham\u2014who is in the middle of a four-year contract with a 90-74 overall record\u2014won\u2019t come right away, a disappointment for Lakers fans who hoped his exit would be as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_Z50YANJHi0?si=7rDVAILJaiFjzTO_\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quick as Frank Vogel\u2019s was in 2022<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers\u2019 unflattering finish leaves Ham\u2019s future as head coach in serious peril, multiple league and team sources tell <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Athletic,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with some stakeholders indicating it\u2019s highly unlikely he\u2019ll return. The plan is to reassess everything that went wrong in the coming days before making a final decision.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ham briefly\u2014and vaguely\u2014addressed his own future during his postgame media availability:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cIt\u2019s been a hell of a two years sitting in this seat, I\u2019ll tell you that. It\u2019s been a hell of a two years.\u201d &#8211; Darvin Ham<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dave McMenamin (@mcten) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mcten\/status\/1785168541353988559?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Darvin Ham says he will &quot;continue to work and get better and control what I can control&quot; when discussing his future.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LakersNation\/status\/1785168658219876365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Athletic\u2019s reporting also noted that the Lakers\u2019 disastrous game 2 was a \u201cfinal straw of sorts,\u201d adding to the contrast during Ham&#8217;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: \u201cWe need to be coached, too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2014a far cry from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lakersnation.com\/michael-malone-nuggets-continue-to-focus-on-lakers-after-winning-nba-championship\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">his boastful attitude last year<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Michael Malone: \u201cI think Darvin Ham is a hell of a coach. That\u2019s not an easy job. I think Darvin does it with class. He\u2019s a good man, good coach, and I wish him all the best. Hopefully, he\u2019ll be around there for a long time because he deserves to be.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PJsDU6qfMF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/PJsDU6qfMF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MikeAScotto\/status\/1785174620015886492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Coaches are always very hyper-aware of the rumor mill, and always protective of each other. AK <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mSq3Oxl9BY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/mSq3Oxl9BY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Kamenetzky Brothers (@KamBrothers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KamBrothers\/status\/1785175094907785276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>Writing on the Wall?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers\u2019 choice to reassess Ham\u2019s future is expected, given his popularity among LA&#8217;s brass. However, others would argue that the writing\u2019s been on the wall this entire time. From inconsistent rotations to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SheaSerrano\/status\/1785152676143018373\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">poor decision-making<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/01\/04\/lakers-rumors-darvin-hams-job-security-in-jeopardy\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">growing rumors of a player-coach disconnect<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014Ham\u2019s actions have led to this very moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ham&#8217;s unpopularity with fans is well-documented. Activity on social media during any Lakers game will inevitably lead to many \u201cFire Darvin\u201d tweets during those two and a half hours. Some members of Laker Nation present at Crypto.com Arena <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jovanbuha\/status\/1783715372367319072\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chanted that same phrase<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during LA\u2019s game 3 loss. The discourse was active as ever Monday night, with the latest reports giving them hope after an otherwise dreadful season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But while fans\u2014and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/04\/24\/lakers-coach-darvin-ham-dismisses-anthony-davis-criticism\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sometimes the players themselves<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014blamed Ham for the team\u2019s struggles, sources told Charania that the coach \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rarely, if ever, publicly cited the fault of his schemes, game planning or rotations.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d It\u2019s ironic considering that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lakersnation.com\/darvin-hams-selling-point-to-lakers-was-emphasis-on-competitiveness-togetherness-accountability\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one of the tenets of Ham\u2019s coaching philosophy is accountability<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Lakers will take everything into account when evaluating Ham&#8217;s status with the franchise. However, they may not have to look far to see where the mistakes were made.<\/p>\n<h4>Potential Candidate<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is constant chatter over who is next in line if Lakers fans get their wish. Aside from assistant coach Phil Handy\u2014who may be the exception to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamQuinnCBS\/status\/1785187921802170468\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cno more first-time head coaches\u201d argument<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014another leader with Milwaukee ties could be an option.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We&#39;re probably going to hear Mike Budenholzer&#39;s name a lot if the Lakers are starting a coaching search in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n<p>He&#39;s not off the table or anything&#8230; I think his relationship with Darvin makes him a less than likely choice. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7BeUiEI4uC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/7BeUiEI4uC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamQuinnCBS\/status\/1785189229011616206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Last Word<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron James<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 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.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The topic of Darvin Ham\u2019s future came up time and again throughout the Lakers\u2019 season. Now\u2014after a first-round exit to the Nuggets sent them home empty-handed\u2014insider Shams Charania offered troubling new insight on the first year coach\u2019s standing within the organization: \u201c&#8230;by the time the Lakers\u2019 season ended in Game 5 against Denver on Monday [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":75517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,2,26,62],"tags":[3839,38,365],"class_list":["post-75513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-featured","category-lakers","category-nba","tag-darvin-ham","tag-lebron-james","tag-mike-malone"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}