The Los Angeles Lakers have been underwhelming this year, and are likely to finish in the race for a play-in spot after advancing to the Western Conference Finals last year. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been incredible this year, but the rest of the crew have been subpar compared to their usual performances. With that in mind, the Lakers were one franchise that was expected to make a couple of moves before the trade deadline, but Rob Pelinka decided to stand pat.
Players in the rumor mill like D'Angelo Russell improved his contributions over the last month, while someone like Rui Hachimura or Gabe Vincent are not attractive in the market, so LA will not receive any substantial package in return. The cryptic tweets and frank remarks of James must motivate the guys if they want to compete for the chip again, so let's see what will happen in the last 28 contests of the regular season.
News and headlines about trades are gone down the drain, but the Lakers will likely look back on the biggest mistake they did at the deadline.
Not selling high on D'Angelo Russell
It was an open secret that L.A. re-signed Russell because he can be a trade chip before February 8th or possibly in the offseason as well. Since he was with the squad last season, the Lakers had his bird rights, which meant Russell was the only one they could offer for two years, $37 million. For instance another point guard was available, Pelinka could not give him the same exact offer because of the ramifications of the CBA.
It was a smart move to keep Russell, but it became increasingly hard to trade him at the early juncture of the year. He was struggling immensely, so the demand was scarce for the former lefty from Ohio State. When the calendar switched to 2024, Russell exploded on certain nights wherein he would over 30-40+ points and catapult the Lakers to crucial victories. Some thought he was playing exceptionally so he gets shipped to a destination with a better fit, while others felt he was playing great so that he would not be traded.
Since there were games Russell was benched in the 2023 postseason, the realistic expectation was to add a primary ball handler that would fit their style more, such as Dejounte Murray or Tyus Jones. That was not the case as there were no serious reports that Russell was close to being traded by the Lakers front office. Since his contract is only two years, this was likely the best opportunity to let him go unless they plan to extend his deal again.
The long term combination of Russell and Austin Reaves in the backcourt seems questionable, which meant it could have been the perfect time to break it up and receive a substantial package in return. It is inevitable that Russell will have another rough stretch in March or April, which automatically means his value will plummet. The sell-high window will close, and L.A. missed it by banking on his chance to be the starting one of the team that is vying for another championship.
Any player can still expand their repertoire and mitigate their weaknesses, but Russell being a ball stopper and a lackadaisical defender are somewhat of his questionable tendencies that forces Lakers head coach Darvin Ham to decrease his playing time.
With the lack of moves in L.A., internal development will be vital to their ascension.
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