Lakers Rumors: Why Rob Pelinka May Wait Till Draft Night 2023 To Make A Major Trade
A distinct possibility exists that Los Angeles Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, the head honcho of the team's much-maligned front office, may further annoy the team's very-annoyed fanbase by holding off on making a meaningful trade until draft night 2023.
For now, Los Angeles remains in a frustrating limbo. The team has two future first-round draft picks, for the 2027 and 2029 drafts, available at its disposal. It also has Russell Westbrook's albatross of an expiring maximum-salaried contract, worth $47.1 million in its final year.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN notes, in a fascinating look at the team's available options for front office wheelings and dealings, that L.A. could trade whichever 2023 draft pick is worse, between its own and the New Orleans Pelicans' pick (spoiler alert: it'll be the Pelicans' pick) on draft night, but not prior to that. Technically, Russell Westbrook's expiring money would be on the Lakers' books until the official end of the 2022-23 NBA season, meaning the start of free agency in 2023 -- after the draft.
Windhorst wonders if, armed with three first-round draft picks instead of just the two for that brief window next summer, the team could improve its hypothetical trade targets. The deal would most likely have to happen on draft night proper, as L.A.-via-New Orleans would effectively be making its 2023 pick on behalf of whichever team trades for said pick.
Given how appetizing the team's 2027 and 2029 first-round selections already are (LeBron James will surely be fossilized by then, and Anthony Davis will probably no longer able to remain upright for long stretches of time, meaning the Lakers should stink), one wonders how much of a difference one draft pick would make in an exchange. Also, more crucially, Los Angeles would be punting on King James's year-38 season. The man still appears to be one of the best offensive forces in the league at this advanced stage. Wouldn't it behoove the club to try to make a trade sooner, one that could at least make Los Angeles competitive this year?
