‘Fire Darvin!’ Lakers fans want head coach gone with LA on verge of elimination

With their backs against the wall, the L.A. Lakers couldn't show up against the Nuggets in Game 3 and are almost ready to start making vacation plans. They once again led by double-digits but ultimately ended up losing 112-105, their 12th straight loss against the Nuggets. Down 3-0 in the series, they're in danger of being swept out of the playoffs by Denver for the second straight season.

Their fans have taken notice of this and seem to actively want their head coach gone. As noted by Jovan Buha of The Athletic, a "fire Darvin" chant broke out during the Lakers' loss to the Denver Nuggets. It could be an extremely long offseason with the Lakers forced to make major changes.

The franchise is currently in the middle of a very public war of words between star Anthony Davis and Darvin Ham who disagree on strategy. Even though no one should be advocating for anyone to be fired from their private business, Ham has had horrible rotations this season.

Among his obvious mistakes, the former NBA veteran gave Taurean Prince too much leeway by not cutting down on his minutes and decided to wait until the end of the regular season to run a clear successful starting lineup.

While the head coach and the Lakers should most likely part ways this offseason, Anthony Irwin has reported that the head coach will likely still be in charge regardless of what happens in the rest of this series.

Are the Lakers destined for a wild offseason?

With a first-round exit likely, it's hard to find a world where the Lakers don't undergo a lot of serious rumors this offseason. The franchise was already planning on trading for a third star but the team will likely look extremely aggressive on the trade market. Additionally, it's hard to justify the Lakers using their first-round pick (or second-round pick if the Pelicans chose to get their final pick from the AD trade now rather than in a year) on Bronny James.

The younger James is very talented and is facing a world of pressure being a legend's son but it's hard to see a world where the Lakers draft Bronny unless it's in a move to appease LeBron James. With James being the oldest player in the league and possibly going to a team that allows him to play with his son, the veteran's time with the Lakers has a small chance of ending.

Outside of last season's Western Conference Finals run, the Lakers haven't made it to the second round since 2020's championship. Ham isn't popular with fans or the team which adds one more wrinkle to what could be a wild offseason.