The Lakers set a condition to keep Darvin Ham

To see that the Los Angeles Lakers hired Darvin Ham was a big surprise, to say the least. You don’t usually see teams firing an NBA championship coach with a first-year guy, let alone coach LeBron James.

Ham’s Lakers got off to a dreadful start to his first season. GM Rob Pelinka worked his magic midway through the campaign, and they got into a nice run to close out the year with a trip to the Western Conference Finals.

However, ever since, Ham has been outcoached almost every time he’s had to face a good team. That’s why the team could decide to let him go if they don’t make the playoffs, according to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin.

Playoff Failure Could Lead To Darvin Ham’s Exit

“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,” reported Irwin. “Rob Pelinka’s focus is still squarely on this season, sources say, and conversations about Ham’s future have yet to truly commence.”

Darvin Ham

The report also pointed out how mediocre the Lakers have been under Ham’s tutelage, and that’s despite having one of the most talented and dominant duos in the league:

“On Ham’s watch, the Lakers, despite having a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the vast majority of the season, have been mostly mediocre,” Irwin added. “They’ve never been more than five games above .500 and currently sit ninth in the Western Conference with a 33-28 record. Yes, they’ve dealt with some injuries to other guys, but by and large, this season has felt like one giant missed opportunity.”

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Championship-caliber players and franchises come with championship-caliber aspirations, and Darvin Ham has yet to prove that he’s the right guy for the job, so he might not be able to hold onto it for much longer.