Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has been rather reluctant to part with future draft picks in trades in recent years. Pelinka has opted to keep an eye on the future instead, and during his press conference on Thursday, he spoke about what it would take for him to part with draft capital.
“If a transaction comes to us that leads to sustained Lakers excellence and puts us in a position to increase our odds of winning a championship, we would put future draft capital in to make that move,” Pelinka stated.
At the moment, the Lakers only have one tradeable first-round pick in 2031. They can also offer swap rights for their first-round picks in 2026, 2028, 2030, and 2032.
A package involving that pick and the swaps won’t get the Lakers a superstar, but it can potentially get them a quality two-way wing. The Lakers will be entering the 2025-26 season with a talented roster that is bursting with offensive talent, but they are weak defensively.
The Lakers looked to address that need by signing Marcus Smart in free agency, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be after a couple of injury-hit campaigns. Even if Smart, who won DPOY in 2022, does perform well, you’d think this roster still needs another quality defender.
The Lakers have reportedly been pursuing Andrew Wiggins, but remain hesitant to include that first-round pick. Perhaps the 30-year-old Wiggins doesn’t fit Pelinka’s criteria.
So, who fits? Well, Pelinka included that 2031 first-round pick in a trade for Mark Williams with the Charlotte Hornets back in February. The trade was later rescinded, and that pick was back with the Lakers.
The Lakers were willing to part with that pick for Williams because they desperately needed a center then. They don’t need one now, though, after signing Deandre Ayton.
There isn’t a gaping hole in this roster at present, which means Pelinka could alternatively hold on to that 2031 pick for another year. The Lakers will have three tradeable first-round picks in 2026, and they can look into acquiring a big name then.
LeBron James‘ agent, Rich Paul, has hinted at the Lakers needing to maximize the present, though, so Pelinka will have some big decisions to make. He has already made one with regard to the head coaching position, as JJ Redick has been given an extension.
Pelinka believes the Lakers have found a special coach in Redick, and the big gamble he took by hiring him has paid off. This was a man who had never even coached at the high school, and questions were asked when he was given the job.
Redick led the Lakers to the third seed in the West with a 50-32 record in 2024-25. It was the first time the team had won 50 games in a season since they went 52-19 back in 2019-20.
This past season did end in disappointment, though, as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Lakers in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Still, it was a positive debut season for Redick, and it will be interesting to see what adjustments he makes to improve this team in 2025-26.
