The recent good performances made by Rusell Westbrook, alongside Anthony Davis, and with a healthy LeBron Jamesthere’s a certain peaceful and joyful environment inside the locker room. Especially coming from the Los Angeles Lakers‘ front office, who are starting to set the team up
With Rob Pelinka’s renewed contract, many LA fans were disappointed because they thought he wasn’t working seriously, and at the same time, they blamed him for the recent failures. However, when the news broke out about him going to Indiana for the Myles Turner’s trade, and at the same time the Lakers started a winning streak, things changed for good.
Now, with a lot of time on his hands, Rob Pelinka is trying to settle things downs, taking his time to make crucial decisions that could possiblyimpact inside the Lakers’ locker room, as well as their performance on the court. With that mindset, the Lakers may have change their priorites in terms of trades.
NBA Rumors: Rob Pelinka won’t trade Russell Westbrook, but there’s other options
Accordind toRic Bucher, NBA Analyst ofFox Sports, “With the Lakers, it’s a matter of getting something for Russell Westbrook before he becomes a free agent next summer, and keeping the team relevant and, thereby, LeBron James happy. The problem: For all of Westbrook’s improved play coming off the bench, his salary is a whopping $47 million and a source familiar with the front office’s thinking said any deal that would have to involve one of the team’s future first-round picks ‘ain’t happening.”
However, as Bucher points out “back-up point guard Patrick Beverley is also available, a league source said, but the return for a 34-year-old point guard shooting 27% and making $13 million is not likely to be significant. Obviously the thinking on spending draft picks could change, but GM Rob Pelinka has been steadfast so far in preserving assets for the inevitable post-LeBron rebuild.”
This means that unless something drastically changes through the 2022-2023 NBA Season, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James will finish it as the big 3 of the Lakers. Especially after a huge win over the Milwaukee Bucks, which seems like a turning point for the team managed by Darvin Ham.
