Rob Pelinka made a somewhat rare public appearance to speak at the introductory press conference for new Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. Much of the presser was dedicated to talking about Doncic, the shocking circumstances around the trade and when he might debut in the Lakers lineup.
But Pelinka was also asked about what the team is going to do next to improve. Adding Doncic is a remarkable move for the future of the franchise, but by giving up Anthony Davis to do so, it leaves L.A. in a tricky spot this season. The team has no discernible starting center and would be towards the bottom of the league defensively as is.
Making a trade for a center before Thursday’s trade deadline seems like the obvious move. But in order to do that, the Lakers would need cooperation from another team, both to make a center available and to find the right return pieces to make a deal happen.
There have been some rumored names like Jakob Poeltl of the Toronto Raptors or Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, but nothing seems close to materializing at this stage.
Rob Pelinka’s thoughts on center market
At the introductory press conference, Rob Pelinka was asked about what the team might do moving forward to bring a bit of balance to their current roster.
