Darvin Ham on Lakers Trade Rumors Entering Deadline: 'No One's Sugarcoating Anything'

Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham admitted the front office will likely explore improving the roster ahead of next month's trade deadline but expressed optimism about the players currently in the locker room turning things around.

"People talk about trades and this and that. No one's sugarcoating anything. You have an opportunity to get better, you're going take advantage of it," Ham told reporters after Monday's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. "But that said, what we have in that locker room, we just need to buckle down, focus, take care of the details. We have more than enough in that locker room to make some things happen."

The Lakers entered Monday losers of two straight and six of their last eight games. Ham made yet another lineup adjustment against the Thunder, with Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell and Taurean Prince starting next to Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Trade rumors are nothing new for the Lakers, who constructed much of this year's supporting cast around last year's trade deadline. Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt all proved to be vital acquisitions as the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals, but they have not been able to carry the same chemistry over to this season.

James, Davis and Prince have been the mainstays in the starting lineup while Ham has shuffled between Russell, Reaves, Vanderbilt, Hachimura and Max Christie as starters. The inconsistent rotation has led to a lack of chemistry and even frustration from players.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported player agents have called the Lakers front office throughout this season to complain about their clients "not getting the right opportunities."

With the Lakers' recent downturn in play leading to speculation about Ham's job status, the coach reverted to the lineup he used on Opening Night to stellar results. The Thunder shot just 41.7 percent from the floor as the Lakers defense locked in and played with consistent effort—something that has not been a staple this season.

"I think we can score," Davis said. "I think for us it's just on the defensive end. Are we able to play defense how we did tonight? ... I think the defense is what's going to separate us and get us more wins."

The lineup will get a stretch of six straight games in Los Angeles to build chemistry. The next time the Lakers won't play at Crypto.com Arena won't happen until they take a Jan. 27 trip to Golden State and embark on a six-game road trip.

How the Lakers fare over this stretch will be paramount in deciding how aggressive they will be at the deadline. James turned 39 in December. Even as he continues to defy Father Time, everyone knows the clock is ticking. This is not a franchise that can sit around and hope things work out over time.

The Lakers have already been linked to Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine as potential trade targets. Fischer reported the Lakers are yet to make Reaves available in trades, and Russell is not seen as a valuable trade piece around the league.

If Ham's latest effort at fixing the team's woes fails, anyone not named Davis or James could find themselves headed elsewhere.