Lakers insider reports Warriors' Darvin Ham interest may have transpired citing Draymond Green's behavior
LA Lakers insider Anthony Irwin believes Draymond Green was possibly the reason behind the conversations between former Lakers coach Darvin Ham and the Golden State Warriors. Earlier this week, reports of the Bay Area franchise talking to Ham about a potential assistant coaching role did the rounds.
While the consensus was to have a coach to replace Kenny Atkinson if he leaves the Warriors, Irwin shed light on the why behind the meeting between the two parties.
Speaking to The Athletic's Lakers reporter Jovan Buha on 'Buha's Block', Irwin said that the meeting came with some focus on veteran forward Draymond Green (35:58).
"For the Warriors specifically, he and Draymond are from the same neighborhood, and Draymond has some issues flying off the handle.
"If Steve Kerr tells Darvin who is a big guy, a big authority, 'Hey, just tell Draymond not to do Draymond stuff? Just make sure he doesn't get suspended.' I could actually see Darvin being great there."
Ham was fired after two seasons with the Lakers, having led the team to two straight postseason appearances.
However, after being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in back-to-back playoff series, he was given his exit papers. Before joining the Purple and Gold, Ham had stints as an assistant coach with multiple teams — Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons.
The Warriors have work to do ahead of the 2024-25 season
After failing to make the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors have ample questions to answer, and hiring an assistant coach is one of them. From sorting out Klay Thompson's contract to figuring out the right pieces to add alongside Steph Curry, the team's summer plans are one to watch out for.
Moreover, veteran Chris Paul's $30 million deal is non-guaranteed, and there's a good possibility that the Warriors will move on from the experiment of a seasoned guard shepherding the second unit. There's every chance that the trio of Thompson, Curry and Green may have played their last season as Golden State's 'Big 3'.
As for Ham, there's no update on whether they plan to add him to the coaching roster. If they ink him to a contract, that will be a boost to their defense, as the coach comes in with a defense-first mindset, an area the Dubs could excel in if he brings out another level of Green's game next season.