4. Brook Lopez
Rob Pelinka just cannot figure out the center position. Brook Lopez is the second center on this list and spoiler alert, he is not the last. Lopez’s time with the Lakers was so short that a lot of fans might forget that he even once wore the purple and gold.
But that is where the mistake is for the Los Angeles Lakers. There is no reason why the team should have let a talented center through their fingers like Lopez. The team didn’t just give up on him when it was time to re-sign him, they gave up on him during the season as well.
Lopez was thrown into the D’Angelo Russell trade that was meant to get cap space in return for the Lakers. Los Angeles sent Russell and Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn and the Nets sent back an expiring contract in Lopez with a draft pick (that turned into Kyle Kuzma).
The Lakers obviously viewed Lopez as just an expiring contract and they played him as such. Lopez was reportedly growing frustrated with his playing time during the season, leading to him signing a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks… for $3.3 million.
If the Lakers just treated Lopez right when he was in LA then he probably would have been motivated to re-sign with them instead of walking for free. And while it all worked out in 2020 with a title, you can’t tell me that a sharpshooting big like Lopez wouldn’t be perfect next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It all panned out for Lopez, who played well on the Bucks and earned a more expensive deal that also resulted in a championship ring.