Report: Darvin Ham could be coaching for his Lakers future

Darvin Ham has endured a difficult season with the Los Angeles Lakers. His team currently sits tenth in the Western Conference. They're four and a half games ahead of the Utah Jazz in eleventh. However, their current standing means the Lakers would need to navigate the treacherous play-in tournament to qualify for the playoffs.

According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, Ham's future as the team's head coach is tied to the team making the playoffs this season.

"Per sources speaking on the condition of anonymity, Ham’s job is still very much safe this season, but if the Lakers don’t make the playoffs (meaning, secure the sixth seed or win their way into an actual playoff series), that could change as soon as this summer," Irwin reported. "Rob Pelinka’s focus is still squarely on this season, sources say, and conversations about Ham’s future have yet to truly commence."

Ham's position has been a hot topic for Lakers fans this season. He has made multiple rotation changes, all of which have yielded fleeting results. However, the front office has remained committed to his leadership of the team. Yet, if he's unable to take last season's conference finalists back to the playoffs, that could change.

The Lakers are under pressure to compete. LeBron James isn't getting any younger. He also has a player option that he could decline if he grows disillusioned with the franchise. Rob Pelinka has used most of his tradable assets to build a contending team around LeBron. If the veteran star walked for nothing, it would leave Los Angeles in NBA purgatory. 

Ham is facing mounting pressure. That's part of the job description with the Lakers. Still, he needs to find a winning rotation. Otherwise, he needs to hope his team is designed for playoff success rather than the marathon of the regular season,