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Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Speaks On The Team’s Dormant Trade Deadline

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka tried to explain his decision-making to the media after opting to stand pat at the Trade Deadline

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka talks about the acquisition of LeBron James and other free agents at a news conference at the NBA basketball team's headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Wednesday, July 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

The Los Angeles Lakers have had an unbelievably bad first half of the 2021-22 NBA season. But instead of upgrading their roster at today’s Trade Deadline, the team opted to stand pat with their current roster.

When it was announced that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was not using the Trade Deadline to add talent around LeBron James, the NBA world was baffled, and clowned the team all over social media.

Shortly after the Trade Deadline came and went, Rob Pelinka spoke with the media on the decision to keep their current roster at this time.

“Ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider,” Pelinka explained.

Rob Pelinka had a notoriously bad offseason, adding the likes of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk to the Lakers’ core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

So far, the joke of the “Big 3” — including AD, LeBron, and Westbrook — have not meshed whatsoever. And following a disastrous loss to the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, the Lakers would now be on the outside looking in to the postseason picture.

It appears Rob Pelinka knows this year’s version of the Lakers is not going to compete for a title, and will be content to punt on the remainder of the season.


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