Despite looking like a team desperately needing changes, the Los Angeles Lakers stood pat at the deadline.
With few and unappealing assets at their disposal, the Lakers now need to figure out a way to the roster things work, primarily with Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It looks like the Lakers had a deal on the table with the Houston Rockets for Westbrook, but L.A. opted not to pull the trigger for John Wall.
During a conference call Thursday after the deadline, Rob Pelinka, Lakers VP of basketball operations, explains why the franchise didn’t make any moves (h/t: Mike Trudell of Lakers.com):
“We were aggressive in a lot of conversations trying to improve the team — we always want to put this team in the best position to win a championship,” L.A.’s VP of Basketball Ops said on a conference call. “But ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short-term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider.”
Pelinka also said the team as a whole needs to reflect on how everyone can improve:
“When it comes to finding success when a team is not winning, I think the most important action is for everyone to look in the mirror and be better. That includes the front office, it includes the coaches, it includes the players.”
Now let’s see how the Lakers respond on the court.
