Rob Pelinka
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Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka during a press conference in June 2024
As the February 5 trade deadline draws closer, the prevailing belief was that the Los Angeles Lakers would operate as buyers.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst previously reported that general manager Rob Pelinka has been actively canvassing the market, with perimeter defense and rim protection emerging as clear priorities.
A long list of potential targets has been linked to Los Angeles in recent weeks, but momentum has stalled.
Two of the most frequently mentioned names, De’Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis, both came off the board over the weekend as part of the same multi-team deal between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings.
With only days remaining until the deadline, the Lakers’ path to a meaningful upgrade appears increasingly constrained.
Lakers Weighing Patience Over Urgency
NBA insider Jake Fischer believes the Lakers’ inability to land Ellis reflects a broader philosophical approach rather than a single missed opportunity.
Instead of pushing aggressively to close deals, Fischer suggests that Pelinka is deliberately avoiding moves that could compromise the team’s long-term flexibility.
“The Lakers do not want to just trade for a guy like De’Andre Hunter, who’s got future salary,” Fischer said during a livestream on Monday. “They do not just want to add a Michael Porter Jr., who’s got future salary and also pay draft capital to make that happen.”
“I think the Lakers are going to be more patient, look more on the edges, and find something that would help them improve without really sending out too much of a major haul.”
That restraint appears closely tied to the organization’s financial outlook.
According to Spotrac’s Keith Smith, Los Angeles could have more than $55 million in available cap space this summer, with both LeBron James and Austin Reaves set to hit free agency.
Preserving that flexibility has seemingly become a guiding principle, even if it means resisting much-needed short-term fixes ahead of the deadline.
Lakers Looking Beyond the Deadline
The structure of the Lakers’ available assets further complicates any deadline maneuvering.
Their primary trade chips consist of expiring contracts in Rui Hachimura ($18.2 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million), and Maxi Kleber ($11 million), along with second-year guard Dalton Knecht. However, league-wide interest in those assets has reportedly been minimal.
Compounding the issue, Los Angeles controls just one tradable first-round pick, either 2031 or 2032, which significantly limits the team’s ability to outbid competitors for higher-end talent.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin has reported that the Lakers are at least exploring whether that lone first-rounder could be flipped into multiple future selections, a move that would broaden their asset base and open up additional trade constructions.
Even so, waiting remains a viable, and perhaps preferred, option.
Bontemps and Windhorst have noted that by July, the Lakers could have access to three tradable first-round picks regardless, alongside substantial cap space, dramatically changing their leverage.
“The Lakers want to prioritize their cap space flexibility for this summer, where there will be young wings like Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin, Tari Eason from Houston—other potential opportunities to add on the wing in between Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton,” Fischer added.
Watson, Mathurin, and Eason are slated to be restricted free agents, meaning their current teams would have the right to match any offer, making their availability uncertain.
Still, with James widely expected to come off the books and cap room opening up, Los Angeles would have a clean runway to re-sign Reaves and continue building around Luka Doncic.
As a result, the signs increasingly point towards Pelinka exercising restraint at the deadline, either standing pat or making only a marginal move, before shifting full attention to an offseason that could offer far greater flexibility and upside.