Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Rob Pelinka Said He Needed 30 Games to Evaluate the Lakers Roster. It's Now Decision Time.

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everyone, welcome to Lockdown Lakers for Friday. Brian Komenetsky, Andy Keminitki. Rob Polinkas said before the season, he needed 30 games to evaluate where this team is before he could make a deal. Guess what game we just had? That's next. You are Locked on Lakers. Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:34 Thanks to everybody for making Lockdown Lakers. the first listen to every day, Monday through Friday, sometimes on weekends, no matter how or where you get your podcast, this one's always going to be free. And never behind a paywall locked on Lakers on YouTube is where over 26,000 subscribers, Andy, have been patiently marking their calendars, exing off every game that the Lakers play, patiently waiting for the arrival of game 30, the magical game set by Rob Polinka before the season started. so he would have a good idea of where the Lakers are and what they need. And by golly, Andy, Christmas wasn't just a victory, wasn't just a present in that regard. It was also the 30th game of the season.

Starting point is 00:01:18 So Christmas has come in that sense for Lakers fans as well. We will get into all of that and what it might mean going forward in just a moment. Do want to let people know that today's episode is brought to you by Fandul, the NFL playoffs, almost here. It's not too late to get in on the regular season action with Fanduil because right now new customers can finish the season strong with $250 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. Visit Fandul.com to get started. So, Andy, you may remember that in the preseason leading into training camp, Rob Polinkas sat down with the media and was asked about the relative inactivity of his front office in the offseason and what they might do to improve the rock. And he noted that, you know, they're always looking to improve Andy, always.

Starting point is 00:02:09 But he would need about 30 games to really get a feel while they believe in the team, to get a feel for what they might need and where they are before he'd feel comfortable making some trades. Now, we're here. I mean, as the old saying goes, you never want to make a trade until you've seen your roster for two and a half seasons. So we're getting pretty. We're not, and look, to be fair to Rob, we are not quite at two and a half full seasons of essentially the same roster. Yeah, it really reflected the professionalism of the media at large

Starting point is 00:02:54 that all of us were assembled in this room with Rob Lincoln, JJ Reddick, and nobody burst out laughing when we heard that. Like not that not that there aren't smaller details or minutia or the idea of we want to see how J.J. Reddick operates this group and, you know, new system on both sides of the ball, yada, yada, yada, yada. Like those are legitimate things that you wanted to see play out. You know, the question of would DeAngel Russell and Austin Reeves ever get separated as a starting back court? The answer being yes. So though, again, we did get a look at what that looked like last year.

Starting point is 00:03:35 But the idea that there are details that, yes, Rob Polinka did need to see. But the idea that you would not have a general sense of the strengths and the weaknesses and what was missing from this roster without 30 games to see it, it would have just been frankly more believable if he said look man i'm weighing all the different criteria and whatnot i can't really do bleep until december 15th so unless something really unexpected comes along you got to at least sit tight until that day like yeah i mean this is what i'm working with me let me let me play devil's advocate here for a second and then you tell me if these things are different enough in terms of trying to figure out.

Starting point is 00:04:32 And I was supportive of the idea like you've waited this long, at this point go into the season and be as precise as you can. Well, Rob really sold it. I mean, he turns you into a- compelling. It was very compelling. But to be fair to Rob, which we try to do, we try to be fair as we are also critical.

Starting point is 00:04:52 But I, you know, the lot of, of, okay, we've waited this long. We might as well just wait to see specifically what it is that we, rather than assume or guess, let's just wait and see what it looks like. And to that end, there are certain differences that were not there at the beginning of the season. Max Christie is now, it looks pretty well that he's not going anywhere. like he is going to be in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. It looks like DeAngelo Russell is not going to be in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future.

Starting point is 00:05:35 Gabe Vincent is starting to play well again, but I think they assumed that Vincent would be productive and useful at the beginning of the year. And so I'm not sure that necessarily changed. But when you start to put some of these things together, Is there enough that's different contextually about this team that you think? And Jared Vanderbilt hasn't played yet,

Starting point is 00:05:56 which I think they thought he probably would. And they had a pretty good sample size of what that looked like last year as well. Like same with Christian Wood. All I'm trying to do is people like, is there contextually enough difference that it actually lends more credence to what he was saying? The answer does not need to be yes.

Starting point is 00:06:14 I'm just trying to be fair. Here's why, again, I do think there is validity to some of the granular details. You're not going to know until you see what it looks like under a new coach. Right. But like, for example, you bring up Vando. They were to that point the only people that knew Vando had feet surgery in the offseason. So like if they weren't like this was a surprise to all of us, but they knew.

Starting point is 00:06:44 So at this point, if they're not even planning for the possibility, like even if this has taken longer than they expected or hoped, if they were not planning for at least the possibility of playing some games without Vando, then I wonder if they don't understand like what surgery is, like what it actually entails, which I guess could explain some of the slow recoveries with a lot of guys. Actually, it wouldn't be the worst explanation I've heard. Oh, oh, surgery. Okay.

Starting point is 00:07:21 In the meantime, though, we've- serious. We've established this 30-day mark, and it comes at a time when Sham Sharania had some interesting things to say on one of the ESPN NBA shows about what the Lakers are willing to do. And this is during a segment where he was talking about different teams and the trade market. quote, the Lakers are in somewhat of different boat. They feel like they've got their top heavy.

Starting point is 00:07:48 When you think about LeBron James, Anthony Davis, how do we round out this team run both of these guys? They're monitoring the sellers around the NBA, Portland, Washington, Toronto, maybe Chicago. And my sources in that Lakers front office tell me they are open to moving. They've got three first round picks that they can trade. They're open to moving that in a potential trade. But they want a player that they feel can get into this iteration of the team, now with LeBron, James, and Anthony Davis, but also play three, four, five more years under

Starting point is 00:08:19 JJ Reddick as the coach. It should be noted, like the Lakers have the 29, 30, and 31 picks. They cannot trade all three of them at once because of the Steppian rule. I don't know if Shams was talking about maybe pick swaps in like, say, 2030 while you trade 29 and 31, or maybe you, you set up the beginning of this with a trade involving 29. I don't know exactly what he meant, but just for clarification, they cannot trade all three of those picks like before the deadline. That's not allowed.

Starting point is 00:08:57 But at minimum, they have two that they can. I love that quote and that, you know, that leak from the Lakers front office for a multitude of reasons. Shout out to Shams, by the way, for just saying where the leak's coming from. Well, but like a source in the Lakers front office, like the Lakers must hate that because it's like, like, it's, there's three of us. I'm just saying nothing ambiguous about that.

Starting point is 00:09:28 No, but like, you know, but like in a lot of, in a lot of organizations, you know, a source in the front office indicates, like that could be any, you know, one of, you know, 15, 18, 25 people. And the Lakers, it's like two, three. You know, but at least, you know, it's stuff of the organization believes in. I want to unpack this quote here, definitely, in the next segment. So let's get to that next. Locked-on Lakers is brought to you by Robin Hood with Robin Hood Gold. You don't need a silver spoon to eat up the financial favors of the 1%. Robin Hood Gold allows others to get the rates and perks usually reserved for the high society.

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Starting point is 00:11:03 Okay. So, I mean, on the one hand, Andy, there's nothing about that quote where you look at it and say, it's wrong or it's a bad idea. Again, it reads, my sources in that Lakers front office tell me that they're open to moving. They're open to moving in potential trade. They want a player that they feel can go into this iteration of the team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but can also play for three or four or five more years under JJ Radick as a coach. They want to make Andy the ideal trade.

Starting point is 00:11:41 Like that would be, I agree with them. They should, you know, in a perfect world, you find a player. who is, you know, good enough to make a difference now, fits in really well with Anthony Davis and LeBron and can be part of a core that you have moving forward when LeBron eventually goes, whether that's next year or the year after the year after that, but is, you know, really good

Starting point is 00:12:04 and can then join Anthony Davis as either a number two or like a really solid number three or and be really part of, I mean, I agree with all of those things. That would be great. great result. Go do that. The bigger question, though, is what happens if that's not the choice? Yeah, I mean, all of us could make the ideal trade. All of us would be like, you know what, it's worth putting in a couple first round picks for a really good player that can be a foundational piece in ways that are easy to see going forward. But let's just assume, Andy, that the trade

Starting point is 00:12:42 market doesn't play out quite as neatly as that. Where are the Lakers willing to make a deal? We talked about this. You know, you and I filled in on 710 ESPN today on Thursday, I should say. And one of the things we talked about it was like an A trade is easy to make. Would you make a B? What about a B minus? You know, like there is no trade that's going to turn the Lakers into a,

Starting point is 00:13:12 a clear-cut favorite in the Western Conference. So how good do you need to be in order to do something aggressive? Does Rob Polink have an answer to these kinds of questions? I would even unpack it a little bit further than that, like the idea of what are you willing to do? The parameters that were being leaked to shams, the idea of a trade, you know, as far as those first Rom picks go, a trade that will help them now, but also help them for, let's just say, the entirety of JJ Reddick's

Starting point is 00:13:48 current contract. Forget whether or not the Lakers can even make that sort of deal. Does that player even exist in the first place? Because I've started, I really started thinking about this and started going through a list of players that we keep hearing reports about them being available. And whether players like this fit that criteria, before you even get into whether or not they are worth two first round picks. Zach Levine, by my math at 30, is too old for that.

Starting point is 00:14:26 Like he is too old or he is on the verge at the very least of too old. He's close. I mean, I think you could get two or three, you know, reasonably. But you are pushing it. You're really pushing it with someone like Zach Levine beyond. Just because of his. injury history, I think. Injury history and the age.

Starting point is 00:14:44 You know, Dorian Finney Smith, he's 32 years old. He clearly wouldn't be that type of now and later move. You know, Malcolm Brogden's 30s. He's also not transformative in that way. He's not, he's not. But I'm just thinking about dudes or even available. Like Cam Johnson, who is, I think, like a B plus level role player. He's 29.

Starting point is 00:15:05 Like, is he talented enough in the right? bracket to be worth that. Miles Turner, maybe if Indiana decides this is not working right now. And they have definitely been underperforming expectations off last year. He's 29 years old. Like he'd be a great fit with Anthony Davis. But does he feel potentially within that window? Like the only, there are only two players I can think of that I feel like you can even make an argument for this beyond whether or not you even think they're worth like two first round picks. just do they, you know, Bruce Brown has not played this year. Like there's no way in hell you do that deal for a guy that you haven't seen play.

Starting point is 00:15:46 Right. You know, Valenciunis is clearly not that guy. He's too old and not. Right. And I think even if you said like, let's, let's not even think of the entirety of JJ Reddick's contract, but let's just think fits this year. With the Lakers, do you really have to? Exactly. But like fits this year and three more seasons.

Starting point is 00:16:05 Okay. It's basically the only guys that you've heard, enough chatter about them being available to believe that they could be and fit into that now and then, you know, now and later window. Brandon Ingram, Walker Kessler. That's basically it. Like Brandon Ingram is 27 years old. He is younger than Anthony Davis.

Starting point is 00:16:28 Walker Kessler is only 23. That's basically. And by the way, yeah, he's 23 years old. Utah has put out feel as that they're now not going to trade them. and I've never understood why they would have in the first place. But those are the only two players. That's basically, yes, I don't entirely agree with that framing. Because like for example, I think especially when you start to factor in asking price,

Starting point is 00:16:58 although, and we'll talk to this maybe in the third segment, like the market is going to be really hard, is I think hard to, figure out right now. We got an early sign that it might be a buyer's market with Dennis Schroeder going to Golden State for basically a second round pick. But that doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the market's going to play out of the way. And Schroeder was not necessarily the most sought after player. There are going to be, there are big names available, you know, Jimmy Butler being the biggest and obviously. According to Miami though, on the record, Pat Riley said they're not trading him. That may be, but regardless, the Jimmy Butler chatter, the news that Butler wants out, that

Starting point is 00:17:43 was reported over Christmas. Pat Riley can say what he wants, but, you know, the reporting is the reporting. But let's just say, like, that's Pat Riley posturing when you're going to, you know, to try to generate some interest and all that stuff. You know, so the names are out there, but how many of them move. So I mean, I would say contextually, Brandon Ingram would cost more just as a, which guy is considered the better player than Cam

Starting point is 00:18:11 Johnson. But he is better than Cam Johnson. He is, right. But Johnson, both, I think you can make the argument, if you're looking for somebody long term, B.I is younger, but may have more age on

Starting point is 00:18:25 him in terms of injury problems. You know, Cam Johnson's had some stuff in and out of lineup, but, It isn't, you know, B.I. is pretty constantly hurt and plays a larger role. So in terms of like when you think about aging into a role or something like that, you get in your 30, 31 season, I think the most appealing name in there in name slash talent slash the quote that you read is Johnson. I think he's the guy that fits the best. He's not too old.

Starting point is 00:19:03 He's got a game that, you know, especially as a guy whose offense is built around shooting first and foremost, although it's really expanded. He's had a really nice season with the net and shown he can do a lot more stuff. But on a team like the Lakers with LeBron and AD would slide into that complimentary score a role. He's a pretty good wing defender. He's okay.

Starting point is 00:19:24 He's been that way in the past. He has not been lately. I don't. on bad teams, it's hard to judge these things. You're saying it's been a while since he's been a really good defender. Reputationalally, he is somebody who's at least shown the capability and has people who will talk about him in the context of he can be a pretty decent wing defender.

Starting point is 00:19:47 I didn't say great and just, you know, an upgrade over potentially what the Lakers have or additive to what they have without hurting anything. And, you know, the skill set. is always going to be useful. Yep. That said, if Butler either doesn't move because Miami won't move him, or because the mechanics of trading for Jimmy Butler, whether you're certainly for the Lakers,

Starting point is 00:20:19 but for any team really are so incredibly complicated. And the number of teams that would be in the market to do it anyway is so small. that maybe he doesn't go anywhere. Zach Levine is not a new entry into the trade market. He has been there forever. And if people were really interested in going to get Zach Levine, somebody would have done it by now. So I'm not sure that is a thing that happens.

Starting point is 00:20:45 It is very possible that, broadly speaking, you're kind of in a seller's market or a buyer's market, except for somebody like Cam Johnson, who makes sense for a lot of teams, makes a reasonable amount of money, a little over $20 million a year or something like that. And I think at least has a game that ought to age well.

Starting point is 00:21:11 He can fit into a role. He can be a bit more of a lead player. There's a lot going on there that would be appealing. And so for him, the asking price could be really high and the Lakers may not be able to match what other teams are offering. They are in a tricky spot without a lot of. of players out there like you say that really fit the bill of what they at least claim that they're trying to do. Well, I glad you phrased it like that because coming up next, I want to get

Starting point is 00:21:40 into whether or not the Lakers are in a tricky spot because that's the NBA or they're in a tricky spot because they are trying their best to put themselves in a tricky spot. So you can talk about that coming up next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by Fandall. You You can tackle the NFL action with Fandul America's number one sportsbook right now. New customers, you bet just $5, $5, $5, and Abe Lincoln, and you get $150 back in bonus bets if you win. The Fandul Sportsbook app gives you everything you need to place live bets on the NFL all in one place. And this would have been, by the way, really fun during all the Netflix hoopla and all that celebration,

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Starting point is 00:22:49 Fandall.com, never waste a hunch. Make every moment more with Fandle an official sportsbook partner of the NFL. out. Reading that quote that we shared from Shams and the criteria that reportedly they are laying out if they're really going to make a big deal involving as many firsts as they can legally trade at this deadline, combined with the idea that Rob Blenka laid out before that he needed 30 games to really assess this team, which as we explained, even acknowledging certain details that you need to see. see first, you should have a pretty good idea of what it is. And hearing that quote about the idea of all those specifics, you know, the trade for now and the trade for moving forward. And that would that would lead us to use all the picks. Like that's criteria that could be viewed as, you know, galvanizingly aggressive for fans to hear or something that is very transparently serving up the outs for Rob Belinka and Jeannie Bus.

Starting point is 00:24:02 They're leaking a willingness to do something, but at the same time, they're letting you know all the different things that need to match that criteria in order to do the big move. They really, right now, it's not a question of evaluating what you have in front of you. it's really a question of deciding to pick a lane. Like you need to pick a lane at this point. Are you going to make within reason, without guarantees, obviously, but just a big move and invest in this group with LeBron pushing 40 with Anthony Davis in the back end of this of his prime? Or are you going to decide disappointing as it may be, we don't believe.

Starting point is 00:24:54 in this group. And we feel like the window. Can I stop you there for a second? What does that mean? We don't believe in this group. We don't believe in this group. Believe in them do what? Believe in them to make, if nothing else,

Starting point is 00:25:10 a good playoff run versus we see them as a one and out, and that's it. At the very least, plausible contenders to get out of the West. Where they have a puncher's chance. I wonder if punchers chance actually is over, is sort of overplaying. Like they, I think the organization may feel like they need more than a puncher's

Starting point is 00:25:31 chance. Okay. Well, then, then even underscoring further what I talk about. That's, that's the point that I'm making. Yeah, I agree with you. If the criteria is we need to be championship front runners to make a deal or else we're not going to make one, then what you are actually saying is, we don't believe in this court as it is.

Starting point is 00:25:51 Like, there has to be a baseline that. you believe in them in order because they're either close to that right now or they're not. Here's how, let me, here's how I would frame it. And I think everybody agrees like, okay, if you can, like you said in the first segment, like if you can find a guy, then I think Cam Johnson actually qualifies. But if you can find a guy who can make you better now, fits in well later, you know, good solid salary structure, the deal makes sense. Like, it's just a good trade. Like, yes, obviously, we call that making a good trade. Like, that's, you know, that's not believing or not, but it's just making a good trade. But let me ask you this, because this is where

Starting point is 00:26:33 the hard part comes for Polinka. Let's say, and I'm not even putting a name attached to this, because I don't think it's important for the, for the question that we're asking here. Let's say you can't find a deal that fits that long-term horizon where you can look at it and say in three years, this guy's going to be a great fit with what we're doing, three or four years. But you can definitively say that person gives us a reasonable chance to get out of the conference this year. Sure. What does Rob Polinkett do? I think not make the deal.

Starting point is 00:27:11 I agree with you. 100%. I think he would not make that trade. I interpret the language that we hear from Shams on top of everything that we've already seen is, again, this is not a lot. a question of evaluating the roster and what you have. This is a question of picking a lane or, more specifically, finding the guts to pick a lane or finding the justification to not pick a lane. Because to me, the thing that frightens the Lakers more than anything else as an organization is perceived irrelevance, like not being part of the conversation.

Starting point is 00:27:55 And as long as LeBron and Anthony Davis, and very specifically LeBron, as long as they are on this roster, they will always be talked about the Lakers if for no other reason than figuring out how much longer those guys will be on the roster. But they will be paid attention to. They will always play on Christmas. They will always play opening night, all of that stuff. Like they will always be very surface level cosmetically relevant. Yes. And I have heard, you know, whether on the comment section of the YouTube page or on Twitter at Cam Brothers, fans express the opinion.

Starting point is 00:28:35 And I think there's some validity to this that the Lakers would rather be a seven-ish seed with a star, with an unquestioned superstar because that is in their minds something definitive in terms of identity as opposed to making as opposed to actually making some type of move where they recognize our superstars aren't good enough we might need to rebuild it we might need to actually trade our superstars if you are not willing to make a big win now move with LeBron pushing 40 and Anthony Davis at the back end of his prime, then really what are you doing? Because you do not have, you don't have enough runway to kick this thing down the road any further. And you and I have expressed more patience than a lot of other people who cover this team

Starting point is 00:29:33 in terms of the idea that Lakers always have to be all in every moment with LeBron. But we've reached a place now where if you're not going to do this with LeBron at 40, and Anthony Davis pushing his prime as far as it can go, then again, unless you are just afraid of seeming quote unquote irrelevant, what is the point of all of this? I just, and I think what's the point?

Starting point is 00:30:00 And we can quit here because we're going to, we can get into this as we get closer to the deadline and stuff like that. And hopefully as the Lakers keep putting together wins and improving this record. they they can't be obviously they can't be scared of doing you know doing any trade can go poorly right you know they're still frightened they're still you know gun shy from the Westbrook thing and but like may may may have missed mislearn the lesson lesson wasn't um don't make bold trades less than there should be don't make stupid trades that anybody could see we're stupid

Starting point is 00:30:37 before they were made we are I love to tell the story our second most trap Our most traffic show of that year by a lot was the Lakers trade for Russell Westbrook. Our second most traffic show of the year was three days earlier when the rumors started and we did a show about how it couldn't possibly be true because that is such a stupid idea that can't be a real thing. So it was nakedly obvious to two duffices like us that that was not going to be a good trade. So the lesson is make good trades, not don't make any trades. And anything you do, if you're going to do a win now trade, you have to be comfortable with the idea that this rebuild, which is going to be difficult and painful, sometimes I think more painful than fans are willing, they're really thinking through.

Starting point is 00:31:33 But that's okay. I'm not picking on fans. You have to do it with the understanding that this trade is going to make that rebuild. a little bit longer and a little bit more painful. And we have to be comfortable with that because it gives us a better chance to win right now and probably next year. And that's got to be part of the deal, this notion of we want to make a perfect trade. Get out of here with that because anybody can say, yes, we want to make an excellent trade.

Starting point is 00:32:03 Stop it. If you don't believe in it, if you don't. And look, I can see arguments for believing in it. I can see arguments for not believing in it. I'm not even saying that the choice is obvious. What I am saying is obvious, though, is that now is the time to do something definitive. You cannot put it off any longer,

Starting point is 00:32:24 no matter what you decide to do. You cannot kick this thing down. It makes no sense to kick it down the road any further. That's just cowardice. Locked on Lakers on YouTube is we're going to go hang out with over 26,000 and subscribers, sign up for the newsletter. I forgot to mention that. We'll be back after Saturday's game.

Starting point is 00:32:44 You can check out the postcast, the day of Palais as well. But again, sign up for that newsletter. It's helpful to us. Lockdowndaily.com. Go click on Lockdown-Lakers. We'll see everyone after the game on Saturday.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Rob Pelinka Said He Needed 30 Games to Evaluate the Lakers Roster. It's Now Decision Time.

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