Adrian Wojnarowski Says The Lakers Will Wait Until Thanksgiving Before Making Any Big Moves: “They Want To See What Teams May Start Pivoting”

Adrian Wojnarowski has revealed that the Los Angeles Lakers will be waiting until Thanksgiving before making a major trade.

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Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on the opening night proved that the Lakers need a lot more depth on their roster if they even hope to make the playoffs in the Western Conference this season. The team that rocks the purple and gold have been looking listless on the court for the last 2 seasons and may make a massive trade to change their roster up.

Adrian Wojnarowski believes that Rob Pelinka and the Lakers are going to be interested in moving Russell Westbrook and the Lakers’ 2 first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 for rotational players, as more teams will be sellers than in recent years because of the tank for Victor Wembanyama.  

“I’m told to expect Rob Pelinka and the Lakers to wait until post-Thanksgiving, 20 games into the season, and see what teams may start pivoting, who don’t start off well, who decide that they may want to unload players and get involved in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Getting down in the lottery, instead of as we saw in previous years, teams chasing the play-in tournament. I see them using that 2027 and 2029 pick, and Russell Westbrook’s contract. To see what’s going to be out there in the marketplace, but with more teams becoming sellers, there were so many buyers last year, the expectation is that there are more sellers this year and you’ll see the asking price in trades go down. It’s supply and demand. Expect the Lakers to reach that 20 game point where teams reach an inflection point about how they want to proceed.” 

The Lakers could get up to 4 players on $10 million contracts by trading Russ if they wanted to, but it seems the Lakers have been waiting patiently to pounce on the first star to become available on the trade market.


Should The Lakers Trade For Depth Or A Star?

The Lakers’ spent the early part of this summer trying to use their remaining first-round picks to try to trade for Kyrie Irving, also sending an offer to the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell. However, those moves didn’t work out and the Lakers don’t want to send the picks and Westbrook for just average rotational players on contracts that go beyond this season.

At this point, the Lakers’ depth has been a recurring issue over the seasons. There is no reason for them to try and use minimum contracts to try and fill their team out. LeBron plays best with complementary role players, something the Lakers lack but could get if they trade Westbrook with that pick for 3 players from teams like the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs. 

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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