The Los Angeles Lakers are 3-10 after 13 games. They've looked terrible on both ends of the floor, and LeBron James' injury only makes things more complicated. Their roster is poorly built, and their stars aren't a good fit next to each other.
All those things were obvious and evident before the start of the season, and they continue to be right now. Nonetheless, the team refused to swallow its pride and just part ways with a first-round pick to actually fix the roster.
To make things even worse, it seems like the Lakers' stance on that hasn't changed in the slightest. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, they're willing to waste another season just to keep those future first-round picks.
NBA News: Lakers Will Only Make 'Marginal Trades' This Season
"I'm told the organization will be prudent with their two first-round picks," reported Charania. "I don't believe the Lakers are in a position right now to mortgage their future with those two available picks."
"They're probably looking at marginal changes around the edges at best," added Charania. "That means trying to make deals without putting in first-round picks. The organization seems to be moving in a direction where they're going to resist moving first-round picks. [Even] if the season continues to go down this path. For Lakers fans, who are clamoring for a Buddy Hield, Myles Turner move where you're giving up two first-round picks... It's not prudent for them to do that."
Rob Pelinka would rather waste a year of LeBron James than try and compete at the highest level. They expect those first-round picks to be quite valuable, maybe ignoring the fact that they're in line to have the worst record in the league this season as well.
The Lakers have missed the playoffs in seven of Jeanie Buss's nine years as the team governor, and it seems like there's zero accountability inside the front office despite how bad of a job they've done thus far.
