{"id":84273,"date":"2024-07-02T17:16:31","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T21:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=84273"},"modified":"2024-07-02T17:21:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T21:21:21","slug":"rob-pelinka-comments-on-lakers-slow-free-agency-start-demar-derozan-klay-thompson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/07\/02\/rob-pelinka-comments-on-lakers-slow-free-agency-start-demar-derozan-klay-thompson\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob Pelinka Comments on Lakers Slow Free Agency Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even as the spotlight shined on the Lakers\u2019 newest rookies, <\/span>Dalton Knecht<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Bronny James<\/span><\/a>, their\u00a0<\/span>introductory press conference<\/span><\/a> could not end without questions regarding free agency. In the last 48 hours, the Lakers have only <\/span>re-signed<\/span><\/a> Max Christie<\/span><\/a> and accepted the player option pick ups by <\/span>D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Jaxson Hayes<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Cam Reddish<\/span><\/a>. With the roster at 14 guaranteed contracts and no other tangible moves made, General Manager Rob Pelinka addressed why the purple and gold have been seemingly dormant in the first days of the offseason.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rob Pelinka Comments on Lakers Slow Free Agency Start<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pelinka\u2019s Comments<\/b><\/h3>\n

When asked about ways to improve the roster, Pelinka emphasized that the team will remain aggressive when it comes to making the necessary changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re gonna always be aggressive to trying to make roster upgrades, and we\u2019ll be relentless to continue to look at what we can do\u2026We have 14 guys under guaranteed contract with one space, and this is the season of being mindful of all the different things we can approach to improve the roster, so we\u2019re in the midst of that as we speak. That will continue in the coming days, and it often spills into Vegas [Summer League], where all the GMs meet and gather and other deals get done. But yeah, we\u2019ll stay aggressive.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin asked if this summer would be akin to last season, where LA was looking for upgrades all the way until the trade deadline. Pelinka noted that the Lakers, like every NBA team, is now dealing with the first and second aprons of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the right deal comes and we have to put in draft picks, we will. I think we\u2019ve talked about it before, where we\u2019re now in the \u2018apron world.\u2019 We\u2019ve seen contending teams or championship-level teams have to lose players\u2026Does it make trades more challenging? Yes. Does it make good trades impossible? No. So we\u2019ll continue to pursue upgrades to our roster.\u201c<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Where Things Stand Now<\/b><\/h3>\n

As of right now, the <\/span>Lakers<\/span><\/a> have most of their core pieces back, minus, of course, <\/span>LeBron James<\/span><\/a>. Three of the four players James is willing to take a pay cut for have all decided on their futures. <\/span>James Harden<\/span><\/a> is staying with the <\/span>Clippers<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Jonas Valanciunas<\/span><\/a> left the Pelicans for the <\/span>Wizards<\/span><\/a>. And <\/span>Klay Thompson<\/span><\/a>\u2014whose father, <\/span>Mychal Thompson<\/span><\/a>, is a former Showtime Laker and current ESPN radio commentator\u2014famously moved on from the Warriors dynasty in favor of the <\/span>Dallas Mavericks<\/span><\/a>. That leaves the purple and gold significantly limited in their pursuits of player upgrades.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting <\/span>the Lakers could have had Thompson<\/span><\/a> and were willing to offer more money and years on his contract. They even <\/span>offered Russell back to the Warriors via sign-and-trade<\/span><\/a>. But still, Dallas\u2019s status as a title contender and Texas\u2019 lack of income taxes convinced Thompson to join <\/span>Luka Doncic<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Kyrie Irving<\/span><\/a> instead of <\/span>LeBron<\/span>\u00a0and <\/span>Anthony Davis<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where the Lakers Go From Here<\/b><\/h3>\n

The Lakers have been linked to DeMar DeRozan<\/a> as a potential pivot to Thompson, and <\/span>given the Bulls star\u2019s frustration with his current franchise<\/span><\/a>, that could still make sense. Despite being 34 years old and a struggling three-point shooter, DeRozan has continued to put up big numbers and take over in late-game situations\u2014something the Lakers have notoriously lacked outside of LeBron and AD. Whether he\u2019ll be willing to take LA\u2019s Mid-Level Exception\u2014and whether Chicago is remotely interested in one of Russell or, say, <\/span>Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a>, as a <\/span>sign-and-trade<\/span><\/a> centerpiece\u2014is unclear.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond DeRozan and the Bulls, the Lakers are reportedly <\/span>active in trade talks with the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Nets<\/span><\/a>. This shouldn\u2019t be surprising, considering their longtime links to certain players on those rosters. While they\u2019re not the most exciting names, a trade for one of <\/span>Jerami Grant<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Collin Sexton<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Cam Johnson<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Dorian Finney-Smith<\/span><\/a> would still move the needle for a Lakers team in need of their services. It\u2019s way better than signing LeBron to a max contract and living on a prayer that this season is better than the last four.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here is the Lakers offseason if LeBron James signed for the maximum allowed.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles would need to shave roughly $25M (and maybe more) of salary to have access to the $12.8M non-tax mid-level exception. <\/p>\n

Any sign-and-trade also hard caps the Lakers at the $178.1M first\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/SfE30lxlVI<\/a><\/p>\n

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n