Rob Pelinka is willing to give up draft picks in the right deal

More than 48 hours have passed since the official start of NBA free agency, and the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t brought in any new players yet. Their options are dwindling, as a few of their main rumored free agent targets, including Klay Thompson, have been signed by other teams.

According to multiple reports, the Lakers have had trade talks with at least one team. Veteran star DeMar DeRozan seems to still be an option, as is Jerami Grant via trade.

There has been a perception that general manager Rob Pelinka is more focused on developing young players than sacrificing a reasonable amount of future draft capital in order to bring in at least one established player who can help right now. But he said at a press conference on Tuesday that if the right deal is available, he will give up draft picks to make it happen.

Pelinka acknowledged the reality of the new salary cap, which is, for all intents and purposes, a hard salary cap. He also implied it is possible a trade won’t be consummated until after the start of summer league, as many other executives will be in attendance in Las Vegas.