NBA Rumors: Lakers' Darvin Ham Believed to Be 'Safe Through the Rest of the Season'

Amid their ongoing struggles to get over the .500 mark, let alone look like a team capable of competing for a championship in the Western Conference, Darvin Ham is apparently not in danger of getting fired by the Los Angeles Lakers right now.

Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Ham's job is considered "safe through the rest of the season" because he has the support of governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka.

The buzz around Ham's job status seemed to hit its apex when the Lakers were in the midst of losing 10 of 13 games from Dec. 12 through Jan. 5 coming off their victory over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship.

Buha and Shams Charania reported on Jan. 4 there was a "deepening disconnect" between Ham and Lakers players stemming "from the extreme rotation and starting lineup adjustments" by the head coach that were "leading to a fluctuating rhythm for several players across the roster."

There was some speculation if the Lakers lost their Jan. 7 game to the Los Angeles Clippers, Ham's seat would have gotten exponentially hotter. ESPN's Brian Windhorst poured cold water on that theory on the Jan. 8 episode of The Hoop Collective podcast:

"Darvin Ham is not getting fired. There's been a number of stories in the last few days that have emerged about player or agent frustration at the head coach. And, I agree, that there are many examples in NBA history where player frustration with the head coach has led to the head coach being replaced.

"But, in this case, the organization—at least for now—fully supports Darvin Ham. And, of the players who might be frustrated at Darvin Ham, I don't think the players to have the power to voice their frustration are in that space yet."

The Lakers have played a little better recently with a 5-4 record in their past nine games, including victories over the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ham is in his second season as head coach in Los Angeles. He owns a 66-62 overall record and led the team to the Western Conference Finals in his debut season.

The Lakers are currently ninth in the Western Conference standings with a 23-23 record. They will play the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday night looking to move over the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 30.