The realization has kicked in for the Los Angeles Lakers: This roster won’t win a title.
After going all-out during the summer to win the franchise’s 18th championship this postseason, those dreams are now a nightmare. The Lakers reportedly believe Russell Westbrook won’t help LeBron James and Anthony Davis win at a high level, but acquiring his $44 million salary cost L.A. all their tradeable assets.
So two people who constructed this roster — LeBron and Rob Pelinka, VP of basketball operations — will now try to reconstruct it ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
James had a hand in Los Angeles’ roster construction in the offseason, consulting with Rob Pelinka, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, on everything from the Westbrook trade with the Washington Wizards to free-agent signings, sources told ESPN. Pelinka will continue to collaborate with James leading up to the deadline in an attempt to improve the Lakers’ chances of a deep run this season, sources told ESPN.
McMenamin also noted the Lakers were heading this way for a while now, but losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in blowout fashion accelerated notions:
The suspicion had been mounting for weeks, if not months, for a Lakers team built with a title in mind, sources told ESPN. Thrashing along at 26-29 after the 131-116 loss to the Bucks, the clarity of the acknowledgment was tied to timing, sources said.
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