It’s over. Darvin Ham is no longer the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team confirmed in a statement. The 50-year-old seemed to have his days numbered in LA, despite having two more years under contract.
After serving as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks, Ham signed a four-year deal to become the Lakers head coach in 2022. Only two seasons later, the franchise is taking another direction.
Unless Ham finds a new coaching job in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Lakers will have to afford what they owe him for the remainder of his original deal. But of course, many wonder how much money are we talking about.
What was Darvin Ham’s salary with the Lakers?
According to a report by Shams Charania, Jovan Buha and Sam Amick for The Athletic, Ham made nearly $5 million per year to coach the Lakers:
Lakers coach Darvin Ham giving a press conference.
“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.”
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Needless to say, things didn’t go to plan for the purple and gold under Ham’s watch. Though the team made the Western Conference Finals in his first year as head coach, the sweep at the hands of the Nuggets in 2023 made noise.
Things didn’t get better this season, with the Lakers once again struggling for consistency as they couldn’t avoid the Play-In. Their playoff journey in 2024 didn’t last long, winning just one game against the reigning champ Denver in the first round.
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