The Los Angeles Lakers turned their fortunes around at the trade deadline last season.
And, according to one analyst, “vindicated” is the word that best describes the work vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka has done since then.
“A roster turnover that began at the trade deadline only got better this summer as the Lakers retained a lot of their key players,” wrote Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report on August 19. “Adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and re-signing D’Angelo Russell made for a terrific offseason overall and helped vindicate Pelinka after his prior mistakes.”
Pelinka also re-signed Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and extended Anthony Davis this offseason. The Lakers spent more than $390 million between retaining their own players and outside free agents this summer, per Spotrac.
This is not the only time Pelinka has been praised for the moves he’s made this offseason.
Former championship Laker A.C. Green lauded Pelinka for putting a proper supporting cast around LeBron James as he embarks on his 21st NBA season.
“I’m … happy that Rob Pelinka is bringing the resources around to help lighten the load a little bit where he doesn’t have to feel he’s got to carry that torch and baton every single game,” Green said during an appearance on Youtube’s “Scoop B Selects” with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on August 8.
Darvin Ham: ‘Sky’s the Limit’ for Lakers
And head coach Darvin Ham was just as excited about the Lakers’ potential with the new additions, having made it to the Western Conference Finals after making their moves at last year’s deadline.
L.A. went 18-8 after the trade deadline, a .692 winning percentage and a 56-win season which would be the franchise’s best mark since the 2016-17 campaign.
The last time the Lakers won 50 games was in 2019-20 when they won the championship.
Their moves have largely been viewed as upgrades over what they began last season with, particularly with the Russell Westbrook experiment failing to meet their expectations. Even Davis’ history-making extension has been viewed as a good thing because it gives them the flexibility to build now or rebuild later.
“The Los Angeles Lakers were a mess at this time last year,” Swartz continued. “While it was fair to criticize the job Rob Pelinka did at the time, it’s also right to admire what he’s accomplished over the last six months.”
Lakers Best Moves Came From Within
Of the Lakers’ additions, only Vincent is thought to have any shot at starting with everyone healthy, and he will have to beat out Russell to do so. Everyone else seems destined for a supporting role on most nights.
The Lakers’ moves to keep their own free agents (and Davis) may prove even more critical, though. Reaves has been drawing constant praise from coaches and teammates while with Team USA for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and Hall-of-Fame Laker James Worthy called Hachimura a “prototype NBA player.
Then there’s Davis. Hall of Fame big man Kevin Garnett laid out MVP expectations for Davis as he looks for him to carry the torch from James.
“I’m expecting Anthony Davis to be MVP in these next two years or something, real s***,” Garnett said on Showtime Basketball’s “Ticket and The Truth” on August 14. “It’s time, bro. It’s time. … And he’s going to have to take the reins of, ‘Yeah, I’m the best player in the league.”
“One of the most talented players in the league.”
Nikola Jokic praises Anthony Davis (40 PTS, 10 REB in Game 1) after their hard-fought matchup.
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If Davis can live up to Garnett’s lofty expectations, and the Lakers continue to maximize the talents of players like Reaves and Hachimura, the Lakers may be better prepared for James’ eventual departure than expected.
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Analyst Drops 1-Word Evaluation of Lakers’ Offseason