Darvin Ham 'highly likely' to be fired after Lakers playoff defeat

The Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended on Monday night in Denver, and Darvin Ham’s run as the head coach of the team may have as well.

Not long after the Lakers lost 108-106 to the Nuggets in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series, a report from The Athletic said that Ham was “highly likely” to be let go by the Lakers.

The report says there was “discontent” in the team’s locker room. The report cited “fluctuating rotations, game plans and lack of adjustments” as problems for the team. The report went into depth about some of the lineups Ham played throughout the season that were viewed as problems.

The Lakers went 43-39 last season in their first year under Ham. They beat the Grizzlies and Warriors in the playoffs before getting swept by the Nuggets in the Conference Finals.

This season, the Lakers went 47-35, secured the seventh seed, and then lost in five games to the Nuggets in the first round.

The Lakers believe they have a team that should go well beyond making a first-round exit in the playoffs. Additionally, Anthony Davis doesn’t seem too happy with his head coach, which doesn't help Ham's case.

Ham was originally signed to a four-year deal by the Lakers in May 2022. His tenure as the team’s head coach may end after just half that time.