Lakers News: Rob Pelinka Claims L.A. Is Open To Trading Future Draft Picks
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Rob Pelinka, team president for your Los Angeles Lakers, took pains on Media Day earlier this week to stress that L.A.'s front office was open to trading its oft-discussed 2027 and 2029 future first-round picks to improve the roster.
Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Rob Pelinka talked about how the Lakers intend to surround All-NBA small forward LeBron James with high-caliber talent, and alluded to his openness to move those future firsts. “Let me be abundantly clear … [LeBron] committed to our organization, we’re going to commit to him - including those picks - to see him to the finish line.”
McMenamin adds that Pelinka wants to make that trade count, and ensure that the Lakers' return haul helps sufficiently improve Los Angeles.
What Pelinka didn't say was exactly who would be traded, along with those picks. Coming off a miserable 2021-22 season in Los Angeles, embattled point guard Russell Westbrook (and his $47.1 million salary) certainly should be the roster piece offloaded in a deal.
Recent reports suggest that, earlier this summer, the Lakers were open to trading Westbrook, plus both first-round picks, for either Brooklyn Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving, or then-Utah Jazz All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
It's unclear if the team would be amenable to moving Westbrook and both picks for quality veteran depth rather than star players, though their recent decision-making makes it appear that they are at least reticent to do so. Los Angeles opted not to trade for Jazz power forward Bojan Bogdanovic and some of the team's other vets, apparently concerned over the contract length for some anticipated returning players.
Indiana Pacers veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield have been on the block for a while. Does Pelinka consider them worthy of both L.A.'s picks? Not surrounding James with the strongest possible team this season would be doing a disservice to one of the best players in the history of the league. It would behoove Pelinka to appreciate that.
