The Los Angeles Lakers were nowhere to be found today ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Rob Pelinka explained why in a press conference on Thursday evening.
“Ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider,” Pelinka explained.
Rob Pelinka, on a conference call right now, said the Lakers pursued various ways to improve the team, but:
“Ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) February 10, 2022
This doesn’t sound like a win-now strategy, but the reality is the Lakers didn’t have many other options.
No one wants Russell Westbrook. Talen Horton-Tucker isn’t as promising a prospect the Lakers were hoping for. And the rest of the lineup is basically made up of veterans. Unless Anthony Davis became available, Rob Pelinka’s hands were tied.
The Lakers sold their future to win a title in 2020. Was it worth it? Yes. Has it already come back to haunt them? Absolutely.
However, if we’ve learned anything before it’s to never doubt LeBron James. He’s withstood the test of Father Time and continues to play at an MVP level. If he’s healthy and so is Anthony Davis, the Lakers are a threat.
The key for this Los Angeles team is to somehow get the best out of Russell Westbrook. Perhaps the best path forward is sending him to the bench and letting him run the second unit. It’s worth a shot. Anything is at this point.
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