The idea of the Los Angeles Lakers doing little to nothing at the trade deadline verges on unfathomable. But if inaction is the path they go down, it could suggest that team president Rob Pelinka is on thin ice.
To answer the question many may have: No, it does not matter that the Lakers signed their lead executive to an extension last April. The team’s ownership has changed hands since then, landing with Mark Walter, who purchased a majority stake from the Buss family, at a $10 billion valuation.
Regime changes almost always have a way of fomenting overhauls. New owners like to put their own people in place. While Jeanie Buss is operating as the primary team governor for the foreseeable future, she is invariably at the behest of those who actually have controlling interest in the organization.
Buss’ enduring presence alone doesn’t inoculate the Lakers against major alterations. The team has already turned over much of its scouting department. Though Buss won’t shed a tear over the departure of siblings with whom she had a contentious relationship, the thorough scrubbing of an entire department speaks to the shifting dynamics at play.
This trade deadline will be gauge of Rob Pelinka’s power
Pelinka ostensibly has the support of Buss, who lauded his performance on the heels of his extension. To his credit, he did pull off the Luka Doncic trade. Sure, anyone in his position would have picked up that call from the Dallas Mavericks. Without Pelinka’s ties to Nico Harrison, though, there’s no guarantee that call comes at all.
Still, we can’t pretend as if he has the most sterling track record. Over the past few seasons alone, he has overseen the construction of a core that is alarmingly low on supporting-cast members who can contribute at both ends of the floor.
Whether that’s enough to cost him his job is debatable. But this year’s squad isn’t exactly validating his body of work.
If Walter even has the slightest inkling that he’d prefer to handpick the C-Suite captain, Pelinka isn’t going to have carte blanche to improve the team at the deadline. He’ll instead be limited to footnote transactions—nothing that materially impacts the future of the team. He certainly won’t be permitted to trade a first-round pick, let alone render a verdict on Austin Reaves (2026-27 player option) or LeBron James (no-trade clause) ahead of their entry into free agency.
The Lakers trade-deadline will speak volumes no matter what
Pelinka’s status is not the only reason the Lakers may play it safe at the deadline. They could simply strike out on the best-fitting targets amid a complicated asset situation. Reaves’ lengthy absence with a calf strain could send them spiraling down the standings, and prompt them to treat this season as a quasi-gap year.
Remaining idle could end up being entirely their choice, too. Any acquisition worth a darn will require including a first-round pick. The Lakers have only one of those to trade (2031, or 2032). They could decide to sit tight until the summer, when they can flip up to three first-rounders (2026, 2031, and 2033).
Oh, and by the way, they might just end up doing…something. They have Doncic. He is a license for aggression by himself. And in the event he’s not enough, JJ Redick’s relative disgust with the roster provides a little extra oomph as well.
Still, if this trade deadline passes with complete non-action or nothing more than minor moves, the circumstances will demand a spotlight be cast onto Pelinka’s future with the orgaization—or perhaps the lack of it.