Cold War In Lakers Locker Room Confirms Darvin Ham Is Unlikely To Keep His 5-Million Job, As Per Sources

In LeBron James‘ 21 NBA years, the Los Angeles Lakers is probably his most haphazard stint. The elimination against Denver Nuggets is James’ just second first-round exit. With that, several narratives emerge out of the Lakers’ dismal display. Sure, they failed to build on their previous season’s roster in the off-season and the trade deadline. However, the most integral criticism, one that fans have been pointing out for the entirety of the his tenure, is Darvin Ham.

After the Game 2 loss to Denver, Anthony Davis accused the coaching of leaving communication voids for the players. “We have stretches where we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor,” he said.

With the option to address his superstar’s struggles and concerns, Ham downplayed Davis’ sentiments; that too in the middle of the most important run of their season. With that, Darvin Ham resorted to saying, “Guys are irritated, frustrated, fed up,” and applauding his coaching staff and dismissed everything Antony Davis tried to change within the locker room.

“I think I have incredibly talented coaches all along my staff,” Ham backed up his staff while citing that issues around being “efficient and organized” come from the court. Ultimately, he claimed to “agree to disagree on that one [Davis’ remarks].” Nevertheless, according to the Lakers’ team sources, Ham’s response was an unnecessary over-amplification of Davis’ concerns.

Now, Darvin Ham’s another disappointing coaching year highlights the harsh reality of his inability to steer the franchise. Moreover, disagreement from Davis, who holds the richest contract in LA, signals a cold-war brewing behind LA’s bleachers’ potentially signaling that Ham’s next big-cheque might not be coming from the Lakers.

The Lakers will soon give a verdict on Darvin Ham

Lakers saw the conference finals last year. However, much of it was cited as a fluke. They found a winning note after the trade deadline and kept humming the same tone to enter the post-season. However, as the first-round kickout from Denver highlights major issues within Dam’s system, the Lakers are sparking a complete investigation of Darvin Ham’s season.

According to ESPN, the Los Angeles team is planning to “conduct a postmortem on the season” before they make a final “decision on Ham’s future” with the franchise. Given Ham’s string of questionable plays from the 2023-24 season, there will be plenty of things to examine and consider. The decision can come within a few days. Nevertheless, it is just one part of the puzzle Lakers need to solve. Several more pivotal changes are on the verge, with a challenge to harmonize the roster and LeBron James’ decision on his 2024-25 player-option.