NBA Lakers Latest News Update: Jeanie Buss Should Be Pleased With Trade Moves Made By Magic And Pelinka
Los Angeles Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss should be well pleased with the decisions made by general manager Rob Pelinka and president of basketball operations Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The two provided a satisfactory explanation with regard to the trades made last February.
The Lakers dealt away Larry Nance, Jr. - who has just been given a starting spot with the Cleveland Cavaliers - and Jordan Clarkson, with his salary of about $26 million over the next two years, Lakers Nation reported.
In return, the Lakers got Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a protected first-round draft pick. Not only was LA successful in jettisoning the lumpy Clarkson contract that opened up their salary cap space, allowing them to tender offers to free agents next summer, they also got the pick in exchange for Nance, Jr.
The Lakers would not have settled for anything less than a first-round pick for the center.
Jeanie Buss put Pelinka and Johnson for the express purpose of making moves that would decide the roster that coach Luke Walton could stick with. The trades made a lot of sense, and so Magic and Pelinka brought it to Jeanie Buss, who has the final say in such matters and approved it.
The Lakers got an Isaiah Thomas who was still getting his game back after returning from a major injury and who was not effective with the Cavaliers. What Walton has done is to bring Thomas off the bench for an offensive spurt.
It has done wonders for LA, which has surprisingly won five out of six games. That is five straight games that includes coming back from a 17-point deficit to win over a high-level opponent in the San Antonio Spurs.
They have lost to the Portland Trailblazers to see the winning streak end, but there is still much to be happy about: Lonzo Ball has returned to show some high-percentage shooting from beyond the arc. Thomas has even expressed hopes that the Lakers might still make it to the playoffs, ESPN reported.
This is not the final composition of the Lakers that should get back to playoff contention. Whether they make their moves concerning free agency this season or the one after that, it can be expected that Pelinka and Johnson will swing for the best deals.
