“Even in the dog days of August, he’s been on the phone a lot” - NBA insider says Rob Pelinka has been very actively trying to improve the LA Lakers roster
Although the LA Lakers haven't made any splashy additions this offseason, general manager Rob Pelinka continues to tweak his roster. On ESPN's "NBA Today," NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said:
"Rob Pelinka has still been very active. Even in the dog days of August, he’s been on the phone a lot. He's still trying to find deals to bring in more shooting, perhaps some size.”
The LA Lakers are hoping to bounce back this season. After a disappointing previous year, the stakes are high.
The Lakers came into last season with aspirations of making a run towards the NBA Finals. Instead, the season turned into a nightmare. Anthony Davis couldn't stay healthy, playing 40 games, and the Lakers went 33-49, struggling even to win back-to-back games. Returning to contender status in the Western Conference won't be easy, as the West has a surplus of teams that are on the rise.
Woj says on "NBA Today" that Rob Pelinka has been "very active" to make the Lakers roster better, particularly shooting and big men.
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Rob Pelinka looks to get the LA Lakers back on track
With a roster containing LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers have the talent to be a factor in the Western Conference.
The problem has been the health of this Lakers roster. James (56 games) and Davis (40) missed an extended number of games last year, making it difficult for the team to find their groove. Westbrook has seen a rapid decline in his play and has continued to be mentioned as a trade candidate.
Given the results from last year, the Lakers are hoping to head in a new direction. The team hired first-time head coach Darvin Ham, who was previously with the Milwaukee Bucks. Ham has expressed excitement about working with this squad, although he will have his hands full early on.
BREAKING: Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has agreed on a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension – including a player option for the 2024-2025 season, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. James had been entering final year of deal worth $44.5M.
With James agreeing to an extension on Wednesday, time will tell if the Lakers can make additional moves to move the needle forward. For now, general manager Rob Pelinka will continue to burn the telephone lines.
Davis was supposed to be a cornerstone for the Lakers. But after helping Los Angeles to the 2020 championship in his first year, he's played just 76 of 154 games in the past two regular seasons. To land Davis, the Lakers traded Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, De'Andre Hunter, Brandon Ingram and three first-round draft picks to the New Orleans Pelicans.