Darvin Ham 'highly unlikely to return' to Lakers after early NBA playoffs exit: 'We need to be coached'

Ham's standing as the Lakers coach is in "serious peril" and some "indicate he is highly unlikely to return" after his second season ended in a first-round playoff loss, according to The Athletic.

The Nuggets ended the Lakers' season with a 108-106 win Monday in Game 5 when Murray hit the game-winning jumper with 3.6 seconds remaining.

Coaching the Lakers almost always comes with championship aspirations, especially when LeBron James and Anthony Davis are wearing the purple and yellow.

While the Lakers enjoyed one run to the Western Conference Finals under Ham — a sweep at the hands of the Nuggets last year — they are just 90-74 in the regular season.

Ham's job status has been a storyline this season, but the heat is now only turned up after the Lakers yet again came up small against the Nuggets.

Working against Ham is that the players felt they did not connect with him, according to the Athletic.

The outlet reported how during a Feb. 28 come-from-behind win against the Clippers, the players essentially called their own plays to complete the comeback.

"But this, as some players saw it, was a sign of the locker room coming together in an attempt to salvage a challenging situation with the head coach with whom they often didn't connect," the outlet reported. "Their self-empowerment, it seemed, was born out of the perceived absence of effective direction from the coaching staff."

Losing the locker room is usually a tell-tale sign that the coach could be on his way out, and The Athletic reported there are "strong signs" that Ham will be the fall guy.

"We need to be coached, too," one player told the outlet.

While there's no shame in losing to the Nuggets, who could be headed toward a second straight title, the Lakers envisioned this team going further than the first round.

The Athletic reported the Lakers plan to evaluate what went wrong soon before deciding on his fate.

Ham, the former Bucks assistant, just completed the second year of his four-year deal that pays him roughly $5 million per season, per the outlet.

"Throughout the series and most of the season, however, team officials and players believe Ham's fluctuating rotations, game plans and lack of adjustments led to an underperforming group," the outlet reported. "It created discontent within the locker room, which became palpable across the franchise."

Ham seemingly tried to make it clear that it hasn't been the easiest task leading the team these past two seasons, perhaps one public attempt to save his job.

"It seemed like every time we hit a rhythm, somebody, a key piece, would fall out of the lineup. It is what it is, man," Ham said after the loss, per The Athletic.

However, this was a season where James played in 71 games and the oft-injured Davis suited up for 76 — the most he has ever played in a season.

"I'm not going to feel sorry for myself, for ourselves," Ham said. "It's an unbelievable franchise to represent. I couldn't ask for a better governor, a better president of (basketball operations) in Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. But I've seen a lot my first two years in this seat. I'll continue to work, to get better and to control what I can control."