Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka openly acknowledged that the team’s decision to trade a key big man for a point guard ahead of the trade deadline significantly impacted their frontcourt depth.
The move, widely seen as a strategic gamble, left the Lakers shorthanded in the paint and exposed their vulnerability down low – a shortcoming that Pelinka says will be a top priority to address during the offseason.
“I think when you make a huge trade at the deadline where you trade your starting center for a point guard, of course that’s going to create significant issues with the roster, and we saw some of those play out,” Pelinka said, referring to the midseason deal that sent one of the league’s top big men to Dallas.
“We know this offseason, one of our primary goals is going to be to add size in our frontcourt at the center position.”
Pelinka also referenced the Lakers’ failed attempt to bring in more size before the deadline, notably the voided trade involving Charlotte’s Mark Williams.
While he didn’t go into specifics due to league regulations, he made it clear that the roster’s lack of frontcourt depth was a known issue at the time and remains a pressing concern.
“There’s NBA rules that prohibit us from speaking to a particular transaction, but I’ll say in general, it’s very clear and it was clear then… this roster needs more size and needs a center,” Pelinka emphasized.
“That’s a very clear and obvious by-product of trading potentially the best big in the league to Dallas to get a point guard. Of course, that’s going to open up a huge hole.”
He added that the time constraints leading up to the trade deadline limited their ability to fully explore other options to bolster the front line.
“The trade deadline and the moments up to it don’t allow you the requisite time to explore every single unturned stone to add a big to our roster. We just didn’t have the time after the Luka trade. But now we do.”
With the offseason ahead, Pelinka made it clear the Lakers will look to balance the roster by targeting reinforcements at the center position – a need that, in hindsight, became even more evident after the trade reshaped their lineup.
Rob Pelinka Says Lakers To Prioritize Adding Size This Offseason https://t.co/G47Z7VIcd8
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 3, 2025
