NBA Rumors: Lakers' Darvin Ham Not on 'Verge' of Being Fired Despite 'Real' Chatter
Although Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham may be on the hot seat, there are reportedly no imminent plans for the Lakers to part ways with him.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the talk of pressure mounting on Ham is "real," but a high-ranking Lakers source told him Ham is not currently on the verge of being fired.
Amid a disappointing 17-18 start to the season, Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported Thursday that six sources close to the team told them there is a "deepening disconnect" between Ham and the Lakers players.
Charania and Buha also reported that players have been confused by some of Ham's decisions, including making major changes to the rotation and removing guard D'Angelo Russell from the starting lineup, which has left LeBron James as the only ball-handler on that unit.
Although those factors reportedly aren't expected to lead to Ham's immediate firing, Amick reported that he is facing "serious pressure" from the top to turn things around.
The 50-year-old Ham was an NBA journeyman for eight seasons, playing for the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons before getting into coaching.
Ham had successful stints as an assistant with the Lakers, Hawks and Bucks, and the decision was made by the Lakers to hire Ham as the replacement for Frank Vogel, who led L.A. to a championship in 2020.
The Lakers went through plenty of trials and tribulations in Ham's first season as a head coach, going 43-39 and needing to qualify for the playoffs through the play-in tournament due largely to LeBron and Anthony Davis missing time due to injury.
Los Angeles played its best basketball when it mattered most, though, eliminating the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors in the first two rounds of the playoffs en route to the Western Conference Finals.
There, the Lakers were overwhelmed by Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, who swept them and went on to beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
The Lakers entered the 2023-24 campaign with championship aspirations after their deep playoff run, and things were going well for a time, as L.A. won the inaugural NBA in-season tournament.
However, since that win, which punctuated a four-game winning streak, the Lakers have gone just 3-9, including each of their past three games and four of the past five.
If the playoffs started Friday, the Lakers would own the last spot in the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed, but they are only a half-game ahead of the Warriors and one game ahead of the Utah Jazz.
Ham and the Lakers have to start winning to improve their standing and build some momentum entering the playoffs, and it starts Friday against a struggling Grizzlies team that has lost four of its past five contests.
