Rob Pelinka Addresses Lakers’ Slow Start in Free AgencyRob Pelinka Addresses Lakers’ Slow Start in Free Agency In a press conference introducing the team’s newest rookies, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka addressed the team’s limited free agency activity in the early days of the offseason. Pelinka emphasized that the Lakers will remain aggressive in seeking roster upgrades. Despite having 14 players under guaranteed contracts and only one open roster spot, he stressed that the team is exploring all available options. The Lakers have re-signed Max Christie and accepted player option buyouts for D’Angelo Russell, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish. Pelinka acknowledged the challenges of operating under the new collective bargaining agreement’s aprons. However, he stated that the team is willing to use draft picks if necessary to acquire upgrades. Currently, the Lakers have secured most of their core pieces, with the exception of LeBron James. Three of the four players James was reportedly willing to take a pay cut for have re-signed elsewhere. James Harden remains with the Clippers, Jonas Valanciunas joined the Wizards, and Klay Thompson signed with the Mavericks. Despite offers from the Lakers, Thompson opted to join Dallas due to their title contention status and Texas’ lack of income tax. The Lakers have been linked to DeMar DeRozan as a potential replacement for Thompson. DeRozan, despite his age and shooting struggles, remains a reliable scorer and late-game performer. However, it is unclear if he is willing to accept the Lakers’ Mid-Level Exception and if the Bulls are interested in a sign-and-trade involving Russell or Rui Hachimura. In addition to DeRozan, the Lakers are reportedly engaged in trade talks with the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Nets. Players like Jerami Grant, Collin Sexton, Cam Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith could potentially be targets for the Lakers. Despite their limited roster moves, Pelinka expressed confidence in the Lakers’ ability to make necessary changes to improve the team’s performance in the upcoming season.
Even as the spotlight turned to the Lakers’ newest rookies, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, their introductory press conference couldn’t end without questions about free agency. In the past 48 hours, the Lakers have only re-signed Max Christie and accepted player option buyouts for D’Angelo Russell, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish. With the roster at 14 guaranteed contracts and no other tangible moves, GM Rob Pelinka addressed why the Purple and Gold players have seemingly been inactive in the early days of the offseason.
Rob Pelinka comments on the Lakers’ slow start in free agency
Pelinka’s comments
When asked about ways to improve the roster, Pelinka stressed that the team will remain aggressive when it comes to making necessary changes.
“I think we’re always going to be aggressive in trying to upgrade the roster, and we’re going to continue to look tirelessly at what we can do… We have 14 guys under guaranteed contracts with one space, and this is the season where we’re aware of all the different things we can do to improve the roster, so we’re in the thick of it as we speak. That’s going to continue over the next few days, and it often spills over into Vegas (Summer League), where all the GMs are meeting and making other deals. But yeah, we’re going to continue to be aggressive.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wondered if this summer would be similar to last season, when L.A. was looking for upgrades until the trade deadline. Pelinka noted that the Lakers, like every NBA team, are now dealing with the first and second aprons of the new collective bargaining agreement.
“If the right deal comes along and we need to use draft picks, we’ll do it. I think we’ve talked about it before, where we’re in the apron world right now. We’ve seen teams that are competing for the title or teams that are at a championship level lose players… Does that make trades harder? Yes. Does that make good trades impossible? No. So we’re going to continue to pursue upgrades to our roster.”
How things stand now
At the moment the Lakers have most of their core pieces back, minus LeBron James, of course. Three of the four players James is willing to take a pay cut for have all locked in their futures. James Harden remains with the Clippers. Jonas Valanciunas left the Pelicans for the Wizards. And Klay Thompson, whose father, Mychal Thompson, is a former Showtime Laker and current ESPN radio commentator, famously jumped ship from the Warriors dynasty to the Dallas Mavericks. That leaves the Purple and Gold significantly limited in their pursuit of player upgrades.
It’s worth noting that the Lakers could have had Thompson and were willing to offer more money and years on his contract. They even offered Russell back to the Warriors via sign-and-trade. Still, Dallas’ status as a title contender and Texas’ lack of income tax convinced Thompson to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving over LeBron and Anthony Davis.
Where the Lakers go from here
The Lakers have been linked to DeMar DeRozan as a potential pivot for Thompson, and given the Bulls star’s frustration with his current franchise, that could still make sense. Despite being 34 years old and a struggling three-point shooter, DeRozan continues to put up big numbers and take over in late-game situations — something the Lakers have notoriously lacked outside of LeBron and AD. Whether he’s willing to accept LA’s Mid-Level Exception — and whether Chicago is remotely interested in one of Russell or, say, Rui Hachimura, as a sign-and-trade centerpiece — remains unclear.
In addition to DeRozan and the Bulls, the Lakers are reportedly in active trade talks with the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Nets. This shouldn’t come as a surprise given their longstanding ties to certain players on those rosters. While not the most exciting names, a trade for one of Jerami Grant, Collin Sexton, Cam Johnson, or Dorian Finney-Smith could still move the needle for a Lakers team in need of their services. It’s a lot better than signing LeBron to a max contract and living on a prayer that this season is better than the Final Four.
