The Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs in 2022, and it felt like they were destined to be back in the lottery after a 2-10 start to the regular season before LeBron James and company came firing back. Some shrewd moves by general manager Rob Pelinka helped them make the playoffs and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
The top-seeded Denver Nuggets dominated the Lakers to advance to the NBA Finals, but it was still an impressive comeback that should have fans questioning where they should go next. Will Pelinka bring back their current core or do they go hunting for a third star this summer? The Kyrie Irving rumors are not going anywhere, but it will be on Pelinka to decide where to take the Lakers next.
The 53-year-old general manager has a hit-and-miss track record since joining the Lakers in 2017. Pelinka started as LA’s number two decision-maker under Magic Johnson before taking over in 2019 after the Hall of Famer’s abrupt exit. Where has Pelinka messed up?
Los Angeles Lakers’ most regrettable moves under Rob Pelinka
10. Dennis Schroder trade
After winning the title in the bubble, Pelinka traded Danny Green and the 28th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft for Schroder. The 6’3 guard was just runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year, and he provided some much-needed ball-handling and playmaking for the Lakers.
Schroder became a starter in LA, and he played well enough that the Lakers offered him a four-year $84 million contract, which the 6’3 guard turned down. The franchise dealt with injuries and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. Schroder played well, but this was a botched move by Pelinka because of what they gave up.
Danny Green was a key piece of their title team, including starting and averaging 25.0 minutes per game throughout the playoffs. The 6’6 wing spaced the floor and played stout defense. The Lakers also gave up the 28th pick, which turned into Jaden McDaniels, but they were rumored to be interested in Desmond Bane before trading that pick.
Getting a young talent on a rookie contract would have been a wise move, but the Los Angeles Lakers opted for the short-term fix. Imagine, Bane or McDaniels playing next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in 2023. It could have been if Rob Pelinka would have kept the pick after winning the title in 2020.
9. Letting Brook Lopez go
The Lakers acquired Lopez in 2017 in part to create cap space for LeBron’s arrival the following summer. They shipped D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov for Lopez and the 27th overall pick in the 2017 draft. The Lakers selected Kyle Kuzma, and they were hoping to snap a four-year playoff drought.
Lopez was an All-Star with the Nets that averaged over 19 points per game six times in seven years. The seven-footer was reaching the end of his prime, and Brooklyn was ready to move in a different direction.
It was a forgettable one season in LA for Splash Mountain. He set a new career-low in minutes per game and struggled to find his role on the team. Still, Lopez was interested in staying before signing a minimum deal with the Bucks in the 2018 offseason.
He has been a valuable role player and rim protector in Milwaukee for five straight years around Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Los Angeles Lakers have searched for answers at center. Brook Lopez has twice made the All-Defensive teams and would be the perfect role player next to LeBron and AD, but Rob Pelinka just let him walk in free agency without attempting to bring back the talented big man.
8. Signing Marc Gasol
The Lakers’ offseason plan after winning the championship was unclear. They wanted a center to play next to Anthony Davis, especially in the regular season, so they signed Gasol and Montrezl Harrell in free agency. It meant dumping JaVale McGee and losing a second-round draft pick.
Gasol got a two-year minimum deal in LA. They wanted his championship experience, but they knew the 36-year-old was past his prime. He showed signs of slippage in Toronto in 2020, so it was unclear why Rob Pelinka handed him a two-year deal in free agency.
The three-time All-Star struggled with the Lakers, including being limited to 52 regular season games. It was a constant headache for former head coach Frank Vogel, especially after the Lakers added Andre Drummond in the buyout market. There were too many options, and Vogel struggled to find a consistent role for each player.
The Lakers had to spend another second-round pick to dump Marc Gasol in the 2021 offseason, and the veteran big man was quickly waived. The former Defensive Player of the Year spent his final season with the Lakers where he failed to live up to expectations. To make matters worse, Pelinka gave up two second-round draft picks and JaVale McGee for one down year of Gasol.
7. Signing Kendrick Nunn
The Lakers inked Nunn to a two-year deal worth $10 million in 2021. The 6’2 guard averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 29.4 minutes per game during his first two NBA seasons with the Heat, and LA believed they were getting a valuable sixth man.
Nunn missed the entire 2021-22 season with a knee injury as the Lakers won just 33 games and missed the playoffs. He accepted his player option to return to LA this season, but the 27-year-old struggled. Nunn averaged 6.7 points in 13.5 minutes per game before being traded with three second-round picks to the Wizards for Rui Hachimura at the deadline.
Kendrick Nunn reportedly turned down more money to sign with the Lakers, but the deal was a bust. The Lakers got a total of 528 minutes and 262 points for the $10 million they gave to the 6’2 guard. LA did not have cap space, so giving $5 million per season to Nunn was one of their limited assets, and it was a massive miss for Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ brain trust.
Nunn played a similar role in Washington after the trade, but he improved his efficiency. The 27-year-old heads back into free agency this summer, but he will likely have to settle for a minimum contract.
6. Trading for Patrick Beverley
Rob Pelinka’s track record trading for guards is not strong, but this was one of the most puzzling. The Lakers rebuffed interest in Talen Horton-Tucker several times during his three years in LA, including turning down a first-round draft pick from Toronto before trading the 22-year-old and Stanley Johnson to Utah for Patrick Beverley.
The Lakers were looking for a defensive boost from Mr. 94 Feet, but things did not work out. Beverley averaged 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.9 steals in 26.9 minutes per game as a starter in LA. He shot 40.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent on his threes as the team went 21-24 with Pat Bev in the lineup.
They desperately needed to make a change, so the Lakers flipped Beverley to the Magic in a four-team deal that brought Mo Bamba to LA. The 6’1 guard was immediately bought out before signing with his hometown Chicago Bulls to finish the season.
Patrick Beverley has an established reputation, and he just did not fit on the Lakers. Rob Pelinka could have received a first-round pick for THT, but he instead opted for 45 subpar games of Pat Bev in what can be called a disastrous trade.
5. Signing Montrezl Harrell
Part of the Lakers’ roster revamp after winning the title in 2020 was signing the reigning Sixth Man of the Year away from the in-town rival Clippers. Harrell turned down more money to join the defending champions. It marked the end for both JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard as the Lakers replaced them with Marc Gasol and the 6’7 big man.
Harrell saw his minutes decrease in LA, and he played a minimal role in the postseason. The 27-year-old was a DNP-CD for two of the six games, including both wins, and he played under eight minutes twice. Harrell should have been in his prime, but it was the start of his decline.
Rob Pelinka signed Montrezl Harrell to a two-year $19 million contract in 2020, but the Lakers traded him to Washington after just one year to get Russell Westbrook. That deal turned disastrous, and Harrell has played for three different teams over the last two seasons.
The signing was always questionable because the Lakers wanted a rebounder and rim protector next to Anthony Davis. Montrezl Harrell always struggled on the defensive end of the floor, and the two would have to share the frontcourt some, or the Sixth Man of the Year would be limited to 14 minutes per game. The fit did not work out, and Harrell’s value decreased significantly during his time in LA.
4. Drafting Lonzo Ball over Jayson Tatum
The Lakers quickly zeroed in on Lonzo Ball in the 2017 NBA Draft. The LA native was a lead ball-handler and playmaker the franchise needed to jump out of their rebuild. Ball’s questionable jumper was a drawback, but there was plenty of excitement about the 6’6 point guard.
The Celtics had the number one overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft before trading down to third overall. Boston wanted Jayson Tatum, and they knew that the 76ers and Lakers both planned to take point guards. Philly jumped up to select Markelle Fultz before LA took Ball.
Injuries have derailed Lonzo Ball’s career, but the 6’6 guard has never blossomed into a star. Knee injuries forced him to miss the entire 2022-23 season, and he may be out the entire 2023-24 campaign as he rehabs another procedure. The Lakers traded Ball to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis deal, but the 25-year-old has failed to live up to the hype.
Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the world. He is already a four-time All-Star that led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022. Tatum is unquestionably the best player from the 2017 NBA Draft, and Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and the Los Angeles Lakers passed on him to take Lonzo Ball.
3. Ivica Zubac trade
Zubac was a second-round steal in the 2016 NBA Draft that showed plenty of promise during his two-and-half seasons with the Lakers. The seven-footer is a traditional center, but there were flashes of rim-protecting and rebounding chops.
In 2019, the Lakers traded Zubac and Michael Beasley to the LA Clippers for Mike Muscala. Zubac immediately became the starting center across town, and he continued to blossom with increased playing time. He is still a strong rebounder and rim protector for the Clippers as the Lakers have searched for a starting center option in recent years.
To make matters much worse, Muscala barely played for the Lakers. The 6’10 big man averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game over just 17 contests. He left the Lakers in free agency the following summer to head to Oklahoma City. There was no point in trading a promising young big man for a veteran as the Lakers were not in contention.
The Los Angeles Lakers did not want to pay Ivica Zubac, but he got a three-year $21 million extension from the Clippers after the trade. That is a bargain a starting center that can control the paint and matchup against the biggest players in the league. Letting him go was a massive mistake.
2. Letting Alex Caruso walk
Rob Pelinka had a decision to make in 2021. The Lakers had two young talents that became free agents, and the franchise only had the means to pay one of them. Pelinka and the brain trust had to choose between retaining Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker.
They played a similar role in the 2020-21 season with THT being six years younger, but Caruso was the better defender and fit around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In 2020, the Lakers had an 18.6 net rating with LeBron and Caruso on the floor together, which was best in the NBA among duos that played a minimum of 400 minutes together. He seemed like the obvious choice, but the Lakers went with youth.
It was quickly clear that LA made the wrong decision. Caruso blossomed in Chicago, including making first-team All-Defense in 2023. Horton-Tucker’s development stalled as his jumper never materialized. The Lakers traded him for Patrick Beverley in 2022, which turned into a disaster of its own.
The Los Angeles Lakers could have a strong defensive-minded guard on a reasonable contract on their roster, but they decided to keep Horton-Tucker over Alex Caruso. That was a bad move by Pelinka, but it was not his worst.
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.