The Los Angeles Lakers have been quiet, eerily quiet. Does that mean Rob Pelinka is brewing another seismic event in Hollywood? This time around, the answer is probably not.
Kylor Kelley was just signed by the Lakers to a training camp deal. Pelinka and company have not been completely inactive. However, for the most part, the franchise appears to be settled with the roster they intend to bring into the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.
In all fairness, the Lakers have done a sufficient amount of movement to be comfortable with where they stand ahead of training camp. Deandre Ayton was brought in as the new starting center. Marcus Smart was a strong defensive addition. Jake LaRavia could prove to be the steal of the offseason.
Now, it is all about patience. Making moves in the offseason is always expensive, to some degree. For the Lakers, who have limited avenues to improving what they have, finding the right moment to strike during the 2025-26 season could be the difference between contending and pretending.
Rob Pelinka’s next move could define Lakers’ championship window
This upcoming campaign could be the last opportunity the Lakers have to win with a duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James. While continuing to have Doncic in the mix will provide more opportunity overall, there are only so many times a team will possess the most unfair superstar advantage in the NBA.
For Pelinka, that means the upside will be almost as large as the pressure. This is especially true considering what the Lakers have to work with.
Dan Woike recently reminded everyone how limited the asset pool is for the Lakers. Two tradable draft picks, one first, one second, and some low-value swaps is what they are working with. It was the reason the beat writer thought another major move before the season should not be counted upon.
Woike wrote, "I believe it’s way more likely that the Lakers would rather look at the roster that they’ve built, assess the strengths and weaknesses and try to improve during the season than use any of their limited draft arsenal to get a deal done now."
When those assessments are done, there is a growing expectation the Lakers will be active. ESPN's group of NBA insiders voted the Lakers as the second most likely team to make a big move before the trade deadline. They only trailed the Golden State Warriors in that category.
Lakers fans hoping this is not the final team that heads into the 2026 NBA Playoffs should find comfort in that. However, patience will be key as Pelinka needs to be afforded the wiggle room to make the right move, not just a serviceable one.