The Lakers didn't do much at the deadline, but there may be big things yet to come.
The Los Angeles Lakers may have had a quiet trade deadline, but they may have been by design.
The one trade that the Lakers made by the deadline was to acquire three point shooter Luke Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Gabe Vincent, and that deal has already started paying off after a strong performance in the Lakers' 105-99 win over the Golden State Warriors, but the team was quiet beyond that.
At first, that may have seemed like a swing and a miss for the Lakers considering their defensive needs and the wealth of possibilities that were available at the trade deadline, but according to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, their seemingly passive deadline may work in their favor.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) moves the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesInaction Can Be Aggression
Pelinka said that the Lakers were active at the deadline when it came to negotiations and scouting certain players he couldn't disclose exactly what the Lakers were looking for, but he couldn't find a deal that would have been to the team's satisfaction.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesA big factor in those failed negotiations came down to the Lakers' limited draft capital, as draft picks were major factors in many of the major deals that went down at the deadline.
“I would say we were aggressive. And one form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future," Pelinka said (via Dave McMenanmin).
One advantage that the Lakers' quiet deadline is that it leaves them with much more cap space for the upcoming offseason, which gives the Lakers a second chance at making some major deals.
A Big Offseason Ahead
The Lakers have a projected $55 million in cap space for the offseason. The biggest name in the upcoming free agent market is obviously the disgruntled Giannis Antetokounmpo, but there are plenty of other options available to the Lakers as well that can help them address their size and defense issues.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) controls the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesA report from The Athletic's Dan Woike outlined players like Peyton Watson and Tari Easton as potential options the Lakers can pursue.
What will be the most important thing is that the Lakers find a way to build around star Luka Doncic sooner rather than later.
Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) shoots ahead of Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesDoncic is signed through the 2028-29 season, should he exercise his player's option, and with the level that he's playing at, the Lakers need to put a strong team around him to capitalize on his talents and bring the Lakers back to the top of the league.
It may have been a quiet trade deadline in Los Angeles, but according to Pelinka, the Lakers are lying in wait, not standing still.