The Los Angeles Lakers committed their entire future to a core of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler. They’ve made a ton of moves already this summer, but it’s still a questionable team, especially considering how many assets the Lakers gave up. Yet by the end of Wednesday night, all eyes were on the Boston Celtics instead of the Lakers.
LA deserves criticism. Rob Pelinka deserves criticism. But Brad Stevens decided to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. That is a trade so bad that it completely took all attention off of Pelinka.
The Lakers had a bad start to the summer. But the Celtics’ start was worse.
Celtics' Jaylen Brown trade is taking eyes off Lakers' mess
From the perspective of the Lakers, they got their center of the future. A guy who fits well alongside Doncic and Reaves moving forward. Kessler is definitely that guy.
But the price they paid for him is a tough pill to swallow. Pelinka sent out two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz.
The price itself isn’t as much the problem in this case. The problem is that the Lakers now don’t have any draft picks to work with in the immediate future. Pelinka handcuffed himself. He handcuffed the Lakers' ability to build around Doncic.
He went on to sign Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton in free agency, rounding out what looks to be a fairly mid-tier Lakers roster next year. But again, one that he doesn’t have the assets to build upon.
It was a bad day. One Pelinka deserves criticism for. But he won’t get it. At least, not right now. Because the Celtics made a move even worse than the Kessler trade.
Brown was an All-NBA Second Team player last season. One of the best basketball players on the planet. Sixth in MVP voting. And Stevens traded him for a negative asset, two firsts, and two seconds.
He was traded for less than Kessler. The Lakers gave up more draft capital in their deal for Kessler than the Sixers had to give up for Brown and to get off of the George contract.
Nobody’s eyes are on Pelinka right now. No one is looking at him. That’s because every single eye around the NBA is locked in on the Celtics and Stevens.
How did it happen? Why did it happen? Was that really the best offer on the table? How could it possibly have been the best offer?
Boston is getting all the heat right now, and deservedly so.
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