Report: Lakers Coach Darvin Ham Plays Favorites With Players He’s Had At Previous Stops

According to NBA insider Trevor Lane, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham plays favorites with players he’s had at previous stops. 

Ham’s “favorites” are seen as having much more room to make mistakes without the blunders costing them minutes. 

The idea that Ham plays favorites with players he had at previous stops has been a consistent one we have been hearing for some time now. Those players, from what I’ve been told, are seen as having much more room to make mistakes without it costing them minutes/role. https://t.co/RfQ707c8MC

— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) March 13, 2024

Last season, Ham coached Dennis Schroder, whom he had a close relationship with since the two were on the Atlanta Hawks together. 

This season, Ham is coaching Taurean Prince, another player he worked with on the Hawks. 

Lakers star guard D’Angelo Russell told Dave McMenamin of ESPN that Schroder’s relationship with Ham last season prevented him from having a rapport with Ham.

“His relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell said. “When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it. And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”

According to NBA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Ham told the Lakers’ front office to not trade Prince at this year’s trade deadline. The Lakers’ brass thought about moving Prince at the NBA trade deadline, but Ham was one of the vocal supporters of retaining the veteran due to their rapport.

“With limited interest in their players with multiple years left on their contracts, one option the Lakers weighed was trading Taurean Prince, who is making $4.5 million on an expiring contract,” Buha wrote. “However, head coach Darvin Ham was one of the vocal supporters of retaining Prince, according to team sources.”

According to NBA insider Anthony Irwin of Lakers Daily, Lakers players are annoyed with Ham‘s lack of accountability. Several sources have voiced annoyance with how often Ham’s public and private theme boils down to work ethic, discipline and toughness, all things in the players’ control.

If the Lakers don’t make the 2024 playoffs, Ham could get fired.