Rob Pelinka Says Lakers Will Only Trade 1st-Round Picks to Propel Them Toward Title

The Los Angeles Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka aren't changing the tune they've been singing since the summer: They won't trade their future 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks unless it substantially improves their title odds.

Pelinka reiterated that stance Tuesday:

Generally speaking, the speculation around those picks was that the Lakers would move them to facilitate trading Russell Westbrook and his $47 million contract. But with Westbrook adjusting well to a sixth-man role (15.9 PPG, 7.6 APG, 6.6 RPG) and the Lakers fighting back to a more respectable 22-25 record after a dreadful 2-10 start, such a trade doesn't feel as drastically needed as it did over the summer.

To this point, the Lakers haven't been rushed into moving either of those picks. It sounds as though they aren't wavering from that approach, even with the Feb. 9 trade deadline looming.