The Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka and Head Coach Darvin Ham were scheduled to speak to the press on Tuesday at 2 PM before the Lakers abruptly cancelled the interaction without giving a specific reason.
The timing of the press conference was a little odd considering the Lakers have to do their NBA media day next Monday but the cancellation at the last minute without giving a reason has caught many people by surprise. What could be the unspecified reason that led to the Lakers cancelling a press conference at the last possible minute?
There has still not been an explanation from the Lakers side and we’ll likely get one at media day, but there are many theories on why this could have happened. The most obvious one is that the Lakers are headed towards a last-minute trade ahead of training camp. The Lakers have been embroiled in trade rumors all summer long with Russell Westbrook, and the likelihood of a trade has been boosted by the recent actions of the Lakers.
A couple theories:
1. A move is on the way and they want to focus on that and get it done before they speak.
2. Having seen the reaction to this being the final roster, Rob doesn't want to have to answer tough questions until he has to.
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) September 20, 2022
Is A Russell Westbrook Trade Likely Ahead Of Training Camp?
If the Lakers want to go into the season with continuity on their side, they need to make any changes they want before training camp starts. Westbrook’s fit with the Lakers still looks clunky, especially with the Lakers adding 2 more guards in Dennis Schroder and Patrick Beverley to the lineup in the last month.
The Utah Jazz signed more players on a roster that is already bloated after trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert for 9 players. They also took 2 players from the Lakers in exchange for Beverley. They have to trim the roster down, so that has gotten people wondering if the Jazz and Lakers are finally reads to make a trade.
The likelihood is still small but the cards are lining up nicely to make this trade even more plausible. If the Lakers didn’t have a final roster ready, they may have needed the 6 days between their cancelled press conference and media day to put the finishing touches on this roster.
