Rob Pelinka looks genius as Luke Kennard trade reaches unexpected heights for Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers improbably defeated the Orlando Magic 105-104 behind a Luke Kennard game-winning 3-pointer that made Rob Pelinka look the biggest winner of the deadline. Fans were questioning his roster build early in the season as the purple and gold were written off. They wanted defensive upgrades at the deadline. Instead, Pelinka’s lone trade deadline move completely changed things for LA, and the nine-game win streak has quieted all the noise.

The Lakers were 21st in the NBA in 3-point percentage before Kennard’s first game on Feb. 7, and they are fourth since. Kennard is shooting 46.2 percent from long range, and his added gravity has helped the entire team lock in. Luka Doncic is playing like the MVP, and Los Angeles is suddenly a serious title contender.

Pelinka built the 2020 championship team and remade the team into a conference finalist in 2023. Fans were worried he lost the magic, but the Kennard trade has been a key factor in the Lakers flipping a switch and getting hot down the stretch. They just keep defeating playoff teams, and nobody wants to face them right now.

Rob Pelinka looks genius as Luke Kennard sinks game-winner

Everyone will remember the epic game-winner, but Kennard made four shots, including two 3-pointers, before that. On a night where the Lakers were struggling to score, his added offensive punch was necessary. LA only made 25 percent from 3-point range in Orlando, but Kennard’s three triples made sure they escaped with a victory.

The Lakers are going to score. They have Luka, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. Pelinka needed to find a lights-out shooter to open that bit of extra space for everyone else. Kennard has the second-best 3-point percentage in NBA history, and the Lakers got him for Gabe Vincent and a second-round draft pick. It was another magic act by Pelinka as he turned virtually nothing into a crucial piece the team desperately needed.

The Lakers have won 12 of their last 13 and are three games ahead of the Rockets, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. LA has the tiebreaker over every one of those teams, so it is virtually a four-game edge with 11 games left in the regular season. The purple and gold are miraculously going to have home court in the first round of the playoffs and look primed to make a deep playoff run.

If fans had heard all that two months ago, they wouldn’t have believed it. Rob Pelinka deserves a ton of credit. It was his relationship with Nico Harrison that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. Now, the Luke Kennard trade has lifted the Lakers even further. Fans thought Kennard's defense would make him a non-factor, but they were wrong. Pelinka is doing it all with limited assets and savvy moves. Credit to him.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a real threat, and Pelinka's roster building is looking absolutely genius. The team just keeps getting better at the right time. Fans' excitement is building too. Kennard’s game-winner on Saturday night raised things even more. It was an improbable win that further proves LA is a threat. Let’s hope the momentum keeps building.