The Los Angeles Lakers have come in for a lot of criticism this season, and most of it is thanks to the way their roster was constructed. The team wasn’t able to put the type of players they needed to succeed around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and then injuries took a further toll on the roster.
The man blamed more than anyone else for this was GM Rob Pelinka. Pelinka had decided to not trade Russell Westbrook and the Lakers‘ first-round picks in the offseason for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. But he came through at the deadline, moving on from a few pieces to acquire 5 new players for the Lakers’ rotation.
Russell Westbrook has had some unflattering things said about his presence with the Lakers, there were some issues even beyond what was happening on the court. And Pelinka decided to move on from him in a deal that netted the Lakers D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley. He even swung the trade without having to give up both first-round picks. And now he has explained why he made the move in an interview.
"When you feel like a team isn't performing the way it's supposed to you gotta rearrange the parts." Rob Pelinka talks about the trade deadline, preparing for the future, and more. pic.twitter.com/lAqr3kdHsb
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 14, 2023
“I think when we made the Russell Westbrook trade, we did it with the hope of bringing a championship, having a big 3. And clearly, we fell short of that. But when something’s not working as a general manager, it’s your job to fix it.
“No one has a perfect track record. But when you feel like a team isn’t performing the way it’s supposed to you gotta rearrange the parts. And that was sort of what we did at the trade deadline.”
It was quite evident even after last season that things with Westbrook simply weren’t working. But despite all the reports, Pelinka had nothing but nice things to say about the star point guard.
Rob Pelinka Praised Russell Westbrook When Talking About Trading Him Away
Westbrook may not have worked out for the Lakers but his professionalism should never be questioned. And while Pelinka spoke about trading him, he did have praise for Russ as well.
“Now that said, Russell Westbrook was a consummate professional and had great games as a Laker. And we enjoyed having him as a Laker.”
This part of the Lakers’ history will be remembered by most as a mistake, but Pelinka deserves credit for the way he was able to rearrange everything around his superstars. It will mean nothing if the team can’t deliver on the floor though, it’s up to the roster to make things work now.
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