It’s old news now, but the Lakers made a trade at Rob Pelinka’s hands. While this season likely included a roster shift for the purple and gold, Pelinka’s recent history gave reason to believe he could go another season without making a move. That speculation will now be put to bed with the D’Angelo Russell-for-Dorian Finney-Smith trade on Sunday. Pelinka pulled the trigger, and with the ball rolling, he likely will pull it a second time.
Lakers Trade Development Signals Rob Pelinka’s Stance
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Showing His Cards In Recent Trade Move
In moving on from Russell, the Lakers get rid of the $18 million he carried and his wildly inconsistent production. Beginning the year as a starter and then moving to the bench, Russell couldn’t get it going like he showed last season when he recorded a Lakers season record in three-point shots made. This season was vastly different, as he shot just 33% from three and 41% from the field.
The NBA is still over a month away from the February 6th deadline. Pelinka’s decision to initiate a trade this early signals that he will likely make another. It also shows that he realizes where LeBron James is in his career and how well he and Anthony Davis are playing. To waste another year would be to put a final stamp on his GM tenure in Los Angeles. When the December 15th mark hit, making the majority of the league’s players available for trade, the Lakers were predicted to wait until the back half of January or right before the deadline. Apparently, Pelinka saw that differently and got the chips moving just before the new year rang in.
Trading for a reliable 3-and-D player in Finney-Smith was a valuable move on Pelinka’s part. The Lakers have suffered tremendously guarding the perimeter this season. Finney-Smith is a significant upgrade from Russell in that regard.
Turning the Attention to the Paint
Now, the attention turns to filling in a wanting need in the paint. Davis has played outstanding basketball since day one. Christian Koloko has filled in nicely in the absence of Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Christian Wood.However, he has the potential to become even better with some time spent developing in the G League. Suffice it to say, the Lakers need a significant upgrade behind AD, and that is more likely than not the next trade Pelinka will target.
Whose Next?
It was reported that the Lakers could have traded for heavily linked Washington Wizards center Jonas Valančiūnas in early December. Whether Pelinka returns for another look remains to be seen. Still, Valančiūnas remains on the Lakers radar, but competition for the big man will be heavy. That being said, the Wizards have made it known that Valančiūnas would be available for second-round picks, and the Lakers just released three of their own in the D’Lo trade. How many more Pelinka would be willing to give up is uncertain. With some valuable first-rounders available to him, Pelinka might use one or two of those instead on someone else.
The Nets’ Cameron Johnson is another name linked to the Lakers, and he would likely require a first-round pick. More prominent star names are also out there, rumored to be linked with the Lakers. For instance, Jimmy Butler and Zach LaVine are on that name list. However, neither helps the Lakers in the center position. Pelinka is presumably keeping tabs on the likes of Robert Williams III, Nikola Vučević, Walker Kessler, Myles Turner, or Brook Lopez. Any of these players would require at least two players plus a first-rounder at the very least in return. But Pelinka can’t stow; he has to finish what he started over the weekend. Expect the Lakers to look quite different in the coming weeks.
