Rob Pelinka Defends Lakers' Lack of Deals at NBA Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Lakers were surprisingly quiet at Thursday's NBA trade deadline, failing to make a move to improve a struggling roster.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka explained the team's inactivity on the trade market, saying that the team couldn't find a deal that would be beneficial to its hopes of competing for a title this year.

"We were aggressive in a lot of conversations trying to improve the team. ... But ultimately we didn’t find a deal that had a net positive effect for the short term success of the team and the long term, and those are both things we consider," Pelinka said on a conference call, per Lakers reporter Mike Trudell.

The Lakers fell to 26-30 on Wednesday after a disappointing loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, who were very shorthanded because of trades and injuries. It was the sixth loss in the last eight games for Los Angeles, and the team has tumbled down to the ninth spot in the Western Conference.

Throughout this season, the Lakers have struggled to find consistency and that is thanks, in part, to a struggle to remain healthy. Star forward LeBron James has missed 17 games, while star big man Anthony Davis sat out 21 games. Polarizing point guard Russell Westbrook missed his first game of the year on Wednesday because of lower back tightness.

Trudell pointed out that Los Angeles has other options to improving its roster, such as the buyout market. The team also expects young point guard Kendrick Nunn, who hasn't played all season due to a knee injury, to return by late-March.

Pelinka said he thinks it's up to the organization as a whole to figure out how to get better with the pieces that are on the team right now.

"When it comes to finding success when a team is not winning, I think the most important action is for everyone to look in the mirror and be better," Pelinka said. "That includes the front office, it includes the coaches, it includes the players."

The Lakers will return to action on Saturday in a daunting matchup against the 41-14 Golden State Warriors.