Our focus is how we can optimize ourselves – Lakers’ Rob Pelinka

Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka wants the team to focus on how they can optimize themselves in the ongoing offseason. While the other teams are making the moves in the offseason, the Lakers are yet to take a call on their signings.

The Phoenix Suns have traded Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in a deal for Bradley Beal whereas Golden State Warriors then traded Jordan Poole to Washington for Paul.

However, Pelinka has confirmed that they will try to retain their core as much as possible for the upcoming season as they have belief in their players.

“I think we believe in the proof of concept of this group, and we saw defensively what we were able to do to finish the season out, and I think defense and rebounding wins championships … We want to lean into that,” Pelinka said Tuesday. “I think if there’s ways we can improve the roster, of course we’re going to do that. I think probably less focus of, ‘Hey, what is Team X or Team Y doing?’ And more focus on, ‘How can we optimize us?'”

Pelinka introduced Lakers’ rookies: No. 17 pick Jalen Hood-Schifino out of Indiana and No. 40 selection Maxwell Lewis out of Pepperdine in a news conference.

Pelinka feels NBA is wide open as the teams can start signing free agents from Friday.

“Teams are going to be aggressive,” Pelinka said. “There’s a lot of parity in the league right now, and everyone smells an opportunity to chase the championship, but we’re going to try our best to stay in that pack or at the head of that pack.”

The Lakers also need to decide the future of Mo Bamba ($10.3 million) and Malik Beasley ($16.5 million) by Thursday.

“We want to try our hardest to keep this core of guys together and also improve around the edges and on the margins to not only get back to where we were last year but hopefully take the next step and get into the NBA Finals,” Pelinka said.
The Lakers were clean-swept by eventual champions Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals in the NBA 2022-23 season.