According to the latest report from Los Angeles Times reporter Jovan Buha, Rob Pelinka explained why the mid-season trade was stalled and spoke to LeBron James before the deadline, and Pelinka told James to be patient and patient, and that it makes more sense to wait for the opportunity to arise than to make minor repairs.
"My job is to find ways to upgrade the roster and there are no non-selling stars on the trade market this year, so we've decided to keep it as it is. "We've spent a lot of time looking for better ways to use our assets to upgrade the team, and unfortunately, the right trade doesn't exist." ”
Over the past few weeks, Pelinka has received a lot of trade inquiries and received about a hundred trade offers interested in the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick and Reaves. Three days before the trade deadline, Pelinka was still answering or calling to discuss a trade that could get an All-Star, and until the final moments, there was no suitable trade that would have come close to agreeing. Trade talks over Dejounte Murray have been going on for at least three weeks, with both the Lakers and Hawks holding on to their intransigence, and no progress can be made around Austin Reaves as a trade chip.
"Now is not the time to sacrifice our future, and giving up the only available first-round pick right now (2029) for a regular player is bound to cost us a better chance. Pelinka continued, "Trade future draft picks now, and you're going to lose the opportunity to pull together multiple picks to make a big deal in the summer." ”
"We only have one first-round pick available at the trade deadline and the only hook we have in trade negotiations. Pelinka wants James to be patient, "After the 2024 draft, we're going to really unlock the opportunity to get an All-Star." Pelinka also told reporters that he had a separate face-to-face conversation with James before deciding to move, and Pelinka hoped that James would endure a little longer and make up for the team lineup this season by signing players in the buyout market.
"We spoke to James and if the right trade action is taken at the right price, we execute it immediately. We are not worried about using future assets, but it is imperative that future assets be exchanged for star players in the right way and in the right deals. Pelinka added, "James got the message out there as well. What James means is that no matter who players the Lakers have on the roster, he will fulfill his responsibility and give his all to lead the Lakers as far as possible. ”
James' response, however, is intriguing.
The reporter asked James if he believed the Lakers could make it to the Finals this season if the Lakers were fully healthy.
"I don't know. "It's not that there at all, so it's hard to say." "James is 39 years old and can't afford to waste a chance to compete for a championship. But James can't make decisions for Pelinka, which means his future with the Lakers is uncertain. Pelinka will have to deal with the uncertainties that exist with James, which will largely determine the future of James and the Lakers.
"I tried my best, but that's the way the market is. Pelinka further explained, "There are very, very few sellers on the market, which leads to very high asking prices for the players we want to get, from each team. Pelinka's key trade targets include the Nets' Finney Smith, the Bulls' Caruso and the Raptors' Bruce Brown, all of whom need at least a first-round pick before they can be traded to the Lakers.
'We want James to be more patient. Pelinka concluded. For James, he can only wait for a better opportunity with the Lakers, and he can't leave the Lakers again to take a faster path to winning the championship. If James chooses to join another team again, it will inevitably affect the reputation and historical status of his career.
"James can't change teams, he has to trust the Lakers. Jovan Buha said, "If James leaves the Lakers, people will think of him even worse. ”