The NBA trade deadline has a way of exposing a team’s plans, and the Los Angeles Lakers just watched theirs collapse in real time. After weeks of rumors and reported interest, two of the franchise’s top targets, De’Andre Hunter and Keon Ellis, ended up being traded for each other instead, part of a three-team deal involving the Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Chicago Bulls. By the time the dust settled, the Lakers were left on the outside looking in.

Two of general manager Rob Pelinka’s most influential advisors have begun to speak publicly about their expanding roles behind the scenes. “We’re all kind of under this TWG umbrella, and it’s about providing resources to one another,” Andrew Friedman explained on the Dodgers Territory podcast. “Kind of collaborating, that’s kind of how we see it… Farhan has jumped in there some, and Rob came out to our Dodger organization town hall and did a Q&A with [Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes] and myself.”

Now, with frustration mounting over another missed opportunity to upgrade the roster, attention is turning to the voices helping shape the organization’s decisions.

Friedman explained that he’s still focused on his current role with the Dodgers, but that he and Pelinka have had “really good conversations.” The conversations aren’t necessarily about individual players, but rather building process, discipline, and long-term outcomes.

When TWG Global chairman Mark Walter – best known as the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers – purchased the majority stake in the Lakers, he initiated a significant restructuring of the team’s front office.

As part of that effort, the organization brought in Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and longtime executive Farhan Zaidi as special advisors.

Their mission: to help Pelinka approach roster construction with the same strategic blueprint that has fueled Walter’s success in Major League Baseball.

That mindset mattered once the Hunter talks reached a critical point. LA held interest in Hunter but didn’t wish to flip forward Rui Hachimura and sophomore Dalton Knecht without receiving any draft compensation, especially with Hunter on the books for one more year.

At the same time, insiders noted that while Hunter and Ellis topped LA’s list of acquisitions, they simply didn’t have enough draft capital of their own to keep competitive in the negotiations.

Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers Face a Quickly Thinning Market

Multiple reports indicated that Rob Pelinka and the Lakers didn’t want to commit to Hunter’s $24.9 million next year without receiving draft capital in return for his contract.

Unfortunately for them, the market soon closed for both their targets, with Hunter and Ellis being traded for each other, and Sacramento’s flexibility and Cleveland‘s willingness to maneuver standing in contrast to the Lakers’ more conservative posture.

The trade agreement proved to be particularly disappointing news for teams in search of roster improvements, especially considering the scarcity of reliable 3-and-D wing players available on the current market.

De’Andre Hunter stands out as one of the most highly coveted players in this category, making his unavailability all the more significant for teams looking to bolster their perimeter defense and outside shooting capabilities.

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Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have made it clear that they have no intention of parting ways with their promising young forwards Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.

According to reporting from The Athletic’s well-connected insider Sam Amick, the Pelicans’ front office has firmly taken both players off the trading block, viewing them as integral foundational pieces who will play crucial roles in the franchise’s long-term competitive plans and future success.

This stance further limits the already thin pool of available wing players who can provide both defensive versatility and three-point shooting prowess that contending teams desperately seek.

The team desperately needs a defensive presence, especially given their status as one of the worst defensive rating teams in the league at 118 (6th worst), and their offense not being enough to pull them out of the hole.

For now, Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins is potentially available, but there’s no indication that the Lakers are willing to move that way.

However, with their options quickly thinning, the team will have to make a decision or risk missing the deadline with the same roster they had before.