Darin Ham's long-term status with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a topic of discussion all season. Now, after losing in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Ham's immediate future with the organization is in serious doubt, with stakeholders indicating that it is “highly unlikely” that he will return for the 2024-25 season, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Ham, who was hired by the team prior to the 2022-23 season, has often been criticized for his lack of in-game adjustments and rotations. There has even been a disconnect between the players and coaching staff that has existed since they won the first NBA In-Season Tournament in December. The locker room led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped spark their end-of-season run in light of the perceived absence of leadership from the coaches, per The Athletic. This has left owner Jeanie Buss and executive Rob Pelinka with a massive, possibly franchise-altering decision to make regarding their head coach.
Should Ham be let go by the Lakers, they would be responsible for the remaining money on his contract. Initially, Ham signed a four-year contract worth roughly $5 million per year.
“It's been an unbelievable franchise to represent,” Ham stated in his postgame remarks after the Lakers' Game 5 loss in Denver on Monday night. “Couldn't ask for a better governor, a better president of basketball operations. Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss. I've seen a lot in my first two years in this seat. I'll continue to work, get better, and control what I can control.”
When the Lakers return to Los Angeles following their loss to Denver, they will take the next few days to evaluate the organization as a whole. All aspects of the franchise, including LeBron James' future with the team, will be discussed before any decision is made on Ham's future. It is expected that James will ultimately have a say in what happens as well, especially since all indications point towards the Lakers wanting to do whatever it takes to make James happy in Los Angeles for the remainder of his career.
As a result, the notion of drafting his son, Bronny James, in the 2024 NBA Draft is something the Lakers are very open to in order to help fulfill LeBron's dream of playing alongside him, according to The Athletic. Whether or not Bronny remains in the draft and if the Lakers will be in a position to select him are two major variables that have yet to be determined.
Lakers' upcoming decision on Darvin Ham
Darvin Ham is LeBron James' third head coach since joining the Lakers. Luke Walton was fired following the 2018-19 season, James' first with the organization. Frank Vogel spent three years on the sidelines in Los Angeles, winning a championship during the 2019-20 pandemic season, before being relieved of his duties at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
Pelinka and the Lakers' front office viewed their roster as one that could contend for a title. After making the Western Conference Finals last season and winning the In-Season Tournament this season, the Lakers were confident in their belief that they were one of the best teams in the entire league.
With tensions rising after the team went 3-10 coming off their in-season championship, Ham was put under the microscope in Los Angeles and was on the hot seat. Ultimately, the Lakers decided that making a coaching change in the middle of the season would be detrimental to their success. Plus, both Pelinka and Buss remained confident in Ham's ability to lead this organization.
The continued struggles of dealing with rotations and finding steady production alongside James and Davis once again shifted the focus to Ham's struggles to maintain a grip on the team. Confusion on nightly rotations and the course of attack was amplified recently when Davis told reporters about the team “not knowing what they are doing” against the Nuggets. This comment from the All-Star big man did not sit well with those leading the Lakers, likely due to the fact that it again highlighted Ham's struggles to get the Lakers committed to his beliefs.
A decision to either keep or fire Ham will come from the Lakers by the end of the week. This is a decision that will kick off an offseason full of change for this organization as they look to maintain their championship contending status with LeBron on their roster. Pelinka and the front office will be aggressive in their search for more talent to pair with James and Davis, leading many to believe that Atlanta Hawks Trae Young could once again be one of the players they discuss in trade talks over the summer.
For Ham, his Lakers tenure may very well conclude as a pairing that was doomed from the start. The team as a whole never truly believed in his abilities to lead them to another championship over the last two seasons, and it appeared as if the players always looked to their veteran stars for leadership before their head coach, who consistently took on the outside noise to protect his team. Regardless of what happens following their exit from the playoffs, Ham remains gracious for the opportunity Buss and Pelinka gave him to be the figurehead of one of the NBA's most historic franchises.
“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.”
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