Rob Pelinka explains the approach to trading Russell Westbrook, admits goal was to win championship with the big 3
Last week, the LA Lakers made a huge move by trading nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook at the trade deadline. Needless to say, it resulted in some serious upgrades. Joining Spectrum SportsNet's Allie Clifton, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka shed light on the approach towards making the team better by making the right trades.
The Lakers caught an immense amount of backlash for their lack of activity in the offseason. Considering that last season's supposedly star-studded roster resulted in one of the most underwhelming seasons in franchise history, the Lakers had their work cut out for them in the offseason.
However, the result was less than inspiring for fans of the Purple and Gold. With Russell Westbrook still on the roster after being a primary figure in trade rumors, the Lakers simply looked cooked as a franchise.
However, things suddenly changed in the last few weeks before the trade deadline as the Lakers turned up all activity. By pulling the trigger on several trades, including one to ship Westbrook to Utah, the Purple and Gold have built a fairly solid roster.
The manner in which the trades went through is quite an intriguing topic to discuss. In this regard, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka shed light on the team's approach towards the deadline.
In an interview with Spectrum SportsNet's Allie Clifton, Pelinka explained the process of conversing and negotiating with other GMs before the trade deadline to get a feel for what's on the market. He also highlighted the team's approach by addressing their issues.
With D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley on the roster, the Lakers managed to acquire some talented young players for the future.
"When we did the Russell Westbrook trade, we did it with the hope of bringing a championship - having a big three. Clearly, we fell short of that. But when something's not working, as a general manager, your job is to fix it.
"No one has a perfect track record. But when you feel like a team isn't performing the way it's supposed to you gotta rearrange the parts. And that was sort of what we did at the trade deadline."
"When you feel like a team isn't performing the way it's supposed to you gotta rearrange the parts." Rob Pelinka talks about the trade deadline, preparing for the future, and more. https://t.co/lAqr3kdHsb
The three-team deal that sent Westbrook to Utah helped the Lakers address a lot of issues in a very short span of time. In this regard, Pelinka did a tremendous job of helping the team get better.
With D'Angelo Russell and Vanderbilt making an instant impact on the team, the Lakers will hope to see the roster develop chemistry once LeBron James returns.
Russell Westbrook stuck in limbo in Utah
Russell Westbrook's move to the Utah Jazz was expected to result in an immediate buyout by the Jazz. These rumors were immediately followed up by teams such as the LA Clippers and the Miami Heat showing an interest in the 9x All-Star.
Clippers superstar Paul George has reportedly been in talks with his former Thunder teammate to bring him over to the other side of LA. However, as things stand, Westbrook may remain with the Jazz for the rest of the season.
The Jazz don't need to buy out Westbrook's contract. Utah has given the guard the option to play out the season with them.
Read: How likely are Utah Jazz to buy out Russell Westbrook? Latest updates on 9x All-Star's situation before NBA All-Star break