Lakers finish to season has left coach Darvin Ham’s future in serious peril, as some stakeholders indicate he is highly unlikely to return, sources say. What went wrong for L.A. and inside LeBron James’ future at @TheAthletic with @sam_amick, @jovanbuha:
by Good-Fold-1815
27 Comments
EVERYONE GET IN HERE THE BAD MAN IS GONE
Lol no shit
Keep going Shams, I’m almost there!!!
So it starts boys. OUR OFFSEASON IS HERE
everyone get in here
I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS
Woah who would have seen that coming, breaking news guys
Good I’m seeing this and not the Murray shot right before I go to sleep lol
Pockets gone
“But Bron I used my challenges finally!”
His firing tweet is gonna hit like crack
Just fucking fire him already
Only good thing after first rd exist
This is better news than winning the series. THANK YOU DENVER I LOVE YALL.
#BE DISRESPECTFUL TO HIM, CARRY HIM OUT AND THROW HIM IN A MUD PUDDLE WITH DOG SHIT INSIDE THE PUDDLE AND HAVE A HOMELESS GUY SPIT ON HIM. FUCK THAT GUY.
Fuck the idiots running this org like a poverty franchise and keeping him, wasting a healthy LeBron and AD year
There’s the pre-written hit piece lmfao
Anyone got full article?
Get rid of Pelinka as well and bring in Myers.
6 months too late.
Lake Show is this our championship? 👀
the article is interesting. scam is getting torched lmao
lol Shams is becoming the go-to for post elimination hit pieces
From the article:
It’s anticipated James, ahead of his June 29 option date, will want to see how the Lakers manage the offseason and their approach to building the roster around him and Davis. He places importance on having comprehensive and well-rounded depth around him, which could mean the Lakers explore trades in the lead-up to that player option, sandwiched between the NBA Draft, which begins June 26, and the opening of free agency on June 30.
What’s more, team sources say the Lakers are very open to the prospect of helping LeBron fulfill his dream of playing with his son Bronny by potentially drafting him.
The Lakers, team sources say, would be open to discussing any deal that involves James coming back — including even the maximum three-year, $164 million extension they can offer. Playing through a three-year deal would put him at 42 by the end of the contract.
“He’s not the problem here,” one high-ranking Lakers official said of LeBron.
He is, in fact, still seen as a major part of the solution.
The Lakers are expected to be aggressive in the market, with Atlanta’s Trae Young one of the more intriguing names out there. The Lakers’ room could be split on him as they try to make the most of this precious time in which James and Davis are still playing at an elite level. He’ll be one of many names that is expected to be discussed.
Here’s some excerpts for people interested in some of the article.
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. In 2022, Ham signed a four-year deal in the range of $5 million per season, so the team would be assuming the remainder of his deal if he is fired.
It’s anticipated James, ahead of his June 29 option date, will want to see how the Lakers manage the offseason and their approach to building the roster around him and Davis. He places importance on having comprehensive and well-rounded depth around him, which could mean the Lakers explore trades in the lead-up to that player option, sandwiched between the NBA Draft, which begins June 26, and the opening of free agency on June 30.
What’s more, team sources say the Lakers are very open to the prospect of helping LeBron fulfill his dream of playing with his son Bronny by potentially drafting him.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James famously told The Athletic in 2022.
LeBron changed his message in January 2023, telling ESPN that he would consider that family goal fulfilled so long as he shared the floor with Bronny “either in the same uniform or a matchup against him.” In the wake of Bronny’s cardiac arrest episode in July, he had an uneven freshman season at USC. His hard-to-handicap NBA future remains a topic of great debate, but rival teams believe it is not a matter of if he is a draft pick, but whether the selection range, location and fit are enough to keep him in the draft.
As for his father, the Lakers want him back — badly — and the potential of the 39-year-old LeBron returning remains the most likely scenario. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, in particular, believes James’ return is of paramount importance to their plan. This franchise has always been buoyed by the stars, and James’ ability to still play at an elite level at his advanced age has only strengthened the desire to have him retire in a purple-and-gold jersey one day. And after six seasons together in which there has been no shortage of ups and downs, Buss and James, team sources say, have a relationship that is better than ever these days.
The Lakers, team sources say, would be open to discussing any deal that involves James coming back — including even the maximum three-year, $164 million extension they can offer. Playing through a three-year deal would put him at 42 by the end of the contract.
“He’s not the problem here,” one high-ranking Lakers official said of LeBron.
He is, in fact, still seen as a major part of the solution.
“I’m not gonna answer that,” he said later when asked if he thought Game 5 might have been his last game as a Laker. “I appreciate it.”
The Lakers are expected to be aggressive in the market, with Atlanta’s Trae Young one of the more intriguing names out there. The Lakers’ room could be split on him as they try to make the most of this precious time in which James and Davis are still playing at an elite level. He’ll be one of many names that is expected to be discussed.
The team needs backcourt help, particularly after Russell’s up-and-down play against the Nuggets for a second consecutive season. His performance leaves a significant question about his likelihood to return, even with an $18.7 million player option for next season. The Lakers will be armed with three first-round draft picks eligible to be moved on draft night, plus tradeable contracts tied to Reaves, who has strong value across the league, and Hachimura.
When Mike Malone complimented Ham in his serious voice, you knew this was coming