Sources: Even a first-round exit might not be enough to convince the Lakers to fire Darvin Ham

It's been a long, frustrating season. The Lakers fell well short of expectations. A lot of their issues can be traced back to Darvin Ham. Might not matter. It's sounding like he might be back.

Now one game down into their first-round series against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers are bracing internally for what an early exit would mean up and down the organization. Their most pressing question, depending on the outcome and length of this series, is Darvin Ham's future, and sources say, the Lakers remain very split on the job he's done.

In fact, in asking around the last couple weeks heading into the play-in and playoffs, most people I’ve spoken to believe Ham will be back.

All season, as reports circled about the job Ham has done and how the locker room felt about the rotation choices he made, his handling of in-game situations and overall ability to communicate his vision to the team, Pelinka and Jeanie Buss have maintained steadfast support of their head coach. It was an unpopular stance, as sources close to the situation say even other members of that upper level aren't as sure about Ham’s ability to lead this team.

One would think given all the turmoil and the fact that the Lakers had to play an extra game to merely make the playoffs the decision would be pretty straightforward, but that isn't necessarily the case, sources say.

Firing Ham after only two seasons, with two remaining on his contract, would be tantamount to Pelinka admitting he, once again, hired the wrong person for the job after firing a coach who helped win the Lakers a championship only four years ago. Buss would be forced to ask one of her closest confidants why she is now on the hook for yet another coach's paycheck who wouldn't be coaching the Lakers.

Given the rising prices of coaches nowadays, some around the league are dubious Buss would want to pay nearly $20 million in coach contracts (Ham's $8 million combined the next two years and the $10-12 million a coach of championship caliber would go for). Given that hiring a first-time head coach got them here, the Lakers would probably look to hire someone with more experience, and those aren't cheap.

Also importantly, Pelinka could technically have a few excuses at his disposal not to fire Ham, even if the Lakers exit the playoffs in the first round.

First and foremost, the Lakers have withstood injuries to key players throughout the season. Jarred Vanderbilt was finally looking like himself right before he suffered a mid-foot sprain that seems likely to cost him the rest of this season. Gabe Vincent played only 11 games. Austin Reaves may have played all 83 (in-season tournament included), but started the year slowly as he recovered from his summer playing on Team USA.

Yes, James and Anthony Davis were the healthiest they've been together, but the Lakers did seem to suffer from a thousand paper cuts. And hey, according to Ham, it's actually easier to overcome injuries to the "big dogs" than to role players (it isn't).

Second, Ham did just coach the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals last year. Sure, mistakes were made over the course of this season, but he did seem to figure things out late. As he is such a young head coach, Pelinka might say there's something to be gained from allowing a coach to learn and grow on the job. It's to be expected when you hire a rookie head coach, after all.

Issue is, that learning process cost the Lakers precious games in the brutal west. So, instead of perhaps holding home-court advantage heading into the playoffs, the Lakers had to survive the Play-In Tournament once again and very nearly had to play a second play-in game. Their reward for making it through the PIT (an apt acronym for Play-In Tournament): The Denver Nuggets.

Had Zion Williamson not pulled a hamstring late, chances are, the Lakers would've squandered an 18-point lead. Then, who knows what would've happened had they faced a Sacramento Kings team that has thoroughly owned them all year. Under Ham's guidance, the season very easily could have ended without a playoff birth. It's altogether fair to wonder what the difference is between losing in the Play-In Tournament and losing in the first round.

So, the questions become:

• Are the Lakers willing to wait yet another season for Ham to figure this coaching thing out?

• Do they see a better option on the market currently?

• Would they wait to make a decision on Ham based on which teams exit the playoffs earlier than expected to see who comes available in the days that follow that disappointment?

• Most importantly, can they honestly express to any players returning from this season -- or fans, for that matter -- that they're all that focused on winning if there aren't sweeping changes after such taking a step back this year?

Again, many people internally think this is a bandaid worth ripping off, but those who will actually make the call have plenty of reason to find some excuse not to. How that dispute gets resolved will likely go a long way in deciding the direction of the organization not just this summer, but potentially for years to come.

First thing's first, the Lakers have a daunting series ahead and are now at a one-game deficit. While there are varying opinions internally on the job Ham has done this season, the entire organization is zeroed in on how to turn what was a sweeping loss last season into a miraculous upset this year. If the series isn't competitive, though, it would be pretty disappointing to not see sweeping changes across the organization.