Darvin Ham reveals nasty truth about Los Angeles Lakers
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers are 2-8 through 10 games this season. If it wasn’t for Dyson Daniels clanking two free throws to put the game away in the fourth quarter, Los Angeles would be 1-9.
Still, a 2-8 record gives them the second-worst record in the entire NBA, only ahead of the Houston Rockets. If the Lakers keep this up, the Pelicans will have over a 50% chance of snagging a top-three pick and a 14% chance of getting their hands on Victor Wembanyama.
Fans are obviously feeling dejected with this pathetic showing by the team thus far and new head coach Darvin Ham is not making things better. While Ham himself has been fine, he has proven that the issues in last year’s team had nothing to do with Frank Vogel and instead had to do with the lack of talent on the court.
While Ham’s coaching has been fine, his brutal honesty has been both saddening and refreshing. In speaking to the media after Monday’s loss to the Utah Jazz, Ham said the quiet part out loud about this Lakers team (h/t John Coon, Associated Press).
"“We need to step up and play better. We can’t go out and get people, we are already a repeat tax offender. We can’t spend money to build a team. We already have three big-time, first-ballot future Hall of Famers that a chuck of our budget is spent on and there’s only so much left.”"
We respect the honesty, coach Ham, as it allows fans to realize the ugly truth about this franchise that they care so dearly about.
Lakers fans should just give up on this team after Darvin Ham’s comments.
This essentially ensures that the Los Angeles Lakers are not going to make any kind of move that results in them taking on even more money because of the luxury tax implications. Once again, this is a multi-billion dollar sports franchise that is operating like it is in the third league of English football.
Any Russell Westbrook trade that brings in more salary this year? Not going to happen. Any other trade for Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, or whoever, that brings in more salary? Nope, scratch that one off the list.
Trades that bring in future money, such as a deal with the Charlotte Hornets or the Indiana Pacers with Buddy Hield involved, likely won’t happen. The most likely trade seems like a Spurs deal for Josh Richarson and Doug McDermott and at that point what are we even doing? That changes nothing.
Even more concerning is the comment about being a repeater team. This proves the ugly truth about the Lakers that fans already knew about but the team did not say out loud. The front office has been spinning all the cap space next summer as some magical thing that can solve all of the team’s problems.
It has nothing to do about the cap space and potentially bringing in true impact players. It has to do with not hitting the repeater tax for a third time that way the Buss family doesn’t have to fork over money to the league.
Man, the Lakers must be killing for cash. It isn’t like the team had the most revenue of any NBA team in 2021 with a reported $316 million. Poor small-market Lakers. How dare the fans expect them to spend money (wisely) to build a good basketball team.