After making some moves recently, the Los Angeles Lakers’ trade strategy might be changing just weeks before the upcoming NBA deadline. The team thrilled fans when they recently traded for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets, but now it sounds like things could be slowing down for general manager Rob Pelinka.
A new piece in the Los Angeles Times by Dan Woike suggests Pelinka will have a wait-and-see approach in order to figure out how the team works with its new players and other stars who are coming back from injuries. Before making a major change, like trading for a backup center, Pelinka could elect to stick with the squad he has now.
The Lakers’ Trade Strategy May Have Changed
In his piece, Woike said the additions of Finney-Smith and Milton have altered things. Additionally, the team seems to be in a good place right now, going 7-3 in their last ten games and climbing up to the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
The Lakers started the season strongly, bursting onto the scene with a 3-0 record and pleasing fans who were still a bit cautious about new head coach JJ Redick. They then hit a rough patch but have been on the right path recently. There are still a few players out of commission because of injuries, such as Jarred Vanderbilt. This is one of the many reasons why Pelinka could sit back and not make any more adjustments.
“Instead of frantically hunting for a third star or pushing chips in on a starting-caliber center, the Lakers, rival executives believe, will move in different ways than it might’ve seemed earlier this season.”
Because of Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and an improved level of play on both ends of the court, the Lakers are looking like the team they should have been since the start of the season. That may be reason enough not to shake things up anymore. The team’s tempo has picked up so Pelinka and Redick are now becoming more focused on maintaining that. Trying to trade for a big man like Jonas Valanciunas would only slow them down.
Potential Additions
If the Lakers do end up entering the trade market, there are several players they could target. All season long, Valanciunas has been one of the multiple NBA stars in the mix for Los Angeles. The team’s front office has also eyed others like Walker Kessler.
The problem is that the Lakers do not want to give up their remaining draft picks, and they used a lot of their draft capital when they sent D’Angelo Russell away to the Brooklyn Nets. If the team was in a bad position still, Pelinka and his staff would be contemplating significant adjustments to save the season. Since they are currently satisfied with how things are in LA, they are changing their perspective and plans.
Woike’s piece said the Lakers are still adamant about adding “toughness”, but they believe they can do that with the roster they have now.
