Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham “absolutely” believes his team will compete for a championship next season. Ham told NBA writer Leonard Solms of ESPN that the Lakers have the depth to win it all in 2024.
“Absolutely [I think we’re close to a championship team]. We have leadership like LeBron James and Anthony Davis; some of the talent we were able to bring back in Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell,” Ham said. “Then, you think about the guys we added in Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes. I think the sky is the limit for what we will be able to do.
“I think we added a lot of depth, a lot of guys that have skill, size and athleticism, so I look forward to all of that coming together.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Darvin Ham & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals. General manager Rob Pelinka was busy in free agency this summer, as he signed Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes and re-signed D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
Ham is expected to start Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, James and Davis next season. Davis signed a three-year, $186 million extension with the Lakers this summer and an NBA executive who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports believes Davis’ extension “paves the way” for James to finish his NBA career in Los Angeles.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Darvin Ham & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
James can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 if he declines his 2024-25 player option. Davis and James have the same agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group. The two superstars are close friends off the court.
James and Davis helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship over the Miami Heat in six games at the Walt Disney World bubble. Los Angeles is 95-49 since 2019-20 when James and Davis are in the lineup during the regular season.
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