"That's garbage" - Draymond Green weighs in on Lakers possibly firing Darvin Ham after Playoffs letdown
Four-time NBA champ Draymond Green isn't a fan of all the talk surrounding Darvin Ham being fired that's been circulating recently. On the heels of the LA Lakers' first-round exit from the playoffs, the assumption among the NBA community seems to be that the Lakers and Ham will part ways. While nothing is finalized, the firing seems likely.
A report from Jovan Buha of The Athletic indicated that the Lakers are expecting to make an announcement in the coming days, as soon as by the end of the week. Although the team has yet to finalize anything, the talk among the NBA community is that it's a question of when rather than if.
Darvin Ham has coached the Lakers to a 90-74 record over the last two years. He also coached the team to a Western Conference Finals run last year, and the finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament this year.
Given all of that, Draymond Green isn't sold on the idea of the Lakers firing Ham. He spoke on a recent episode of his Draymond Green Show:
"I don't think they got much better and so I'm not surprised by the year they had. Some people think it's a foregone conclusion that Bron is going back to the Lakers. I think if there was something that came about that was interesting, I think he'd look at it, but ultimately I don't quite see him leaving LA.
"Hopefully they don't just fire Darvin, but as if it's his fault and no one else's fault. I think that's garbage. That's neither here nor there, and we shall see."
Looking at the latest reports surrounding Darvin Ham and LeBron James' future with the Lakers amid Draymond Green's comments
Given that LeBron James just completed his 21st year in the NBA, many have wondered whether or not he will retire for good. With just one year left on his extension, and a player option this offseason, James could decide to either retire given the disappointing end to the season, or opt out.
There has been plenty of speculation on both sides, however, much like in the case of Ham's future, nothing has been finalized so far. On Apr. 30, James took to social media to discuss the situation, indicating that he hasn't decided on his future yet.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics rapidly approaching, and James committing to play, winning gold seems to be his focus.
In the case of Darvin Ham, while his future is still up in the air as previously mentioned, the expectation is that we will get further clarity sooner rather than later. While James is expected to compete in the Olympics before then setting his sights on the 2024-25 season, Ham's future could be decided this week.
Between the report from Jovan Buha and a report from Dave McMenamin of ESPN indicating that the Lakers feel Ham isn't owning up to his share of the blame for the team's struggles, the writing seems to be on the wall regarding his future.
Should Ham wind up getting fired, it's clear where Draymond Green will stand on the matter.