1. Russell Westbrook trade
The Lakers gave up Kentavious Cladwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and a first-round pick in what turned into a five-team trade for Westbrook and three second-round picks. LeBron James wanted LA to acquire a third star, but there were immediate questions about how the duo would play together. Both need the ball to be most effective, and those inquiries quickly turned into problems.
The trade created all sorts of headaches and caused the Lakers to miss the playoffs in 2022. Westbrook’s best role was coming off the bench to lead the second unit, but the nine-time All-Star wanted to start. There was drama, poor play, and plenty of losses until Pelinka traded Westbrook to Utah in February as part of the package that brought D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt to LA.
It is unclear how much blame Rob Pelinka should take for this trade. He had worked out a deal with the Kings to trade for Buddy Hield (subscription required) before the franchise pivoted to Westbrook on draft night 2021. James wanted the nine-time All-Star, but did Pelinka prefer the Hield trade? Ultimately, he is the top decision-maker, and he executed the deal, so it goes on his resume.
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The Los Angeles Lakers revamped their roster at the trade deadline and made a surprise run to the conference finals. Credit to Rob Pelinka for that, but there have been plenty of botched moves too. Should fans worry about what lies ahead this summer? Stay tuned to find out.