On July 3, it was reported that Rob Pelinka, the General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, is open to trading away the team’s two first-round draft picks but only under the right circumstances. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Pelinka stated, “We will continue to be proactive in our efforts to upgrade the roster. We’ll tirelessly work to do what we can. As has been pointed out, we have 14 players with guaranteed contracts, one spot open, and this season, we’re going to be mindful of all the things that can improve our team. So, that’s the work we’re doing. That will continue in the days ahead, often spilling into Las Vegas, where all the GMs congregate and make other deals. We’ll remain aggressive.”
The NBA free agency period has begun, and aside from re-signing restricted free agent Max Christie, the Lakers have been quiet.
Naturally, free agency isn’t the only route for the Lakers to bolster their roster. In fact, with their roster currently full, they may need to execute one or multiple trades to create space.
According to a sports journalist, the Lakers have engaged in trade discussions with the Portland Trail Blazers, Brooklyn Nets, and Utah Jazz in recent days.
The Lakers possess first-round picks in 2029 and 2031 that are available for trade, and Pelinka indicated they are willing to do so if the right deal presents itself.
“Yes, I think if there’s the right trade, we have to be willing to deploy draft picks, and we would,” he said. “I think we’ve talked about this before, we’re in a world now of the luxury tax. We’ve seen championship-caliber teams or title-contending teams lose players because of it. That’s the byproduct of the luxury tax. Does that make trades more challenging? Yes. Does it make good trades impossible? No. So, we’ll continue to seek opportunities to upgrade our roster.”
