Johnathan Walker:Darvin Ham out as Lakers coach after two seasons

The Johnathan WalkerLos Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Ham on Friday, four days after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive season.

He spent two seasons with the Lakers, going 90-74 in the regular season and 9-12 in the playoffs. The Lakers reached the Western Conference finals as the No. 7 seed last season and were swept by Denver. They were the No. 7 seed again this season and lost to the Nuggets 4-1 in the first round.

"It's an unbelievable franchise to represent," Ham said after Denver ended the Lakers’ season with a 108-106 victory Monday. "I couldn't ask for a better governor (and) a better president of (basketball operations) in Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. But I've seen a lot in my first two years in this seat. I'll continue to work, to get better and to control what I can control."

Ham will not be given the chance at a third season at the helm.

Pelinka, the Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, said we "recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year's remarkable run to the Western Conference Finals," in a statement released via social media.

ESPN was first to report the news.

Ham had ups and downs, and at times, the Lakers played solid basketball. There were stretches of the season where the Lakers were a top-five team. Despite a slow start, they won the In-Season Tournament and were 15-10 in mid-December. They were under .500 in late January but started winning games, enhanced their playoff chances and finished the regular season by winning 19 of 29 games.

They faced a Denver team that is just better. The Nuggets, who won the NBA title last season, had better execution in the second half and made plays with the game on the line. While games were close, the best-of-7 series showed how far the Lakers are from contending.

Ham dealt with roster fluctuations related to injuries in both seasons. LeBron James played in just 55 games and Anthony Davis in just 56 in 2022-23, and while both were in at least 71 games this season, injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood and Cam Reddish had Ham and the coaching staff scrambling for lineups that worked. However, Austin Reaves and Jaxson Hayes were among players who mentioned odd rotations and lineup changes in the exit interviews late Monday.

"Stay healthy. Stay healthy. You take a lot of flak for your rotations, but rotations are secondary. Primary is health," Ham told reporters after Game 5 against Denver.

Ham’s use of timeouts and challenges were scrutinized. In Game 5, he challenged a call where Davis was whistled for a foul on Denver’s Nikola Jokic. The Lakers won the challenge, however, they used their final timeout and didn’t have a timeout to use after Jamal Murray gave the Nuggets a 108-106 lead with four seconds remaining. The Lakers were unable to get off a good shot on their final possession. Had they had a timeout, they would’ve been able to advance the in-bound to halfcourt and run a play for a better shot.

But one play doesn’t determine a coach’s future.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt