It's only May, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has already had a busy offseason. LA is in need of a new head coach and will also have to retool a roster that was chock full of veterans on one-year deals. After a disappointing Lakers season, one could argue this is the most pivotal offseason in Pelinka's tenure as general manager.
Pelinka and the rest of the front office are reviewing their options in regards to the head coaching vacancy and the future of a roster hamstrung by the massive contracts of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Those three players are owed approximately $129.5M next season.
In a somewhat intriguing bit of news, The New York Times' Adam Zagoria reported on Saturday morning that Pelinka met with Nets GM Sean Marks this week during the NBA Combine in Chicago.
It's highly likely that Pelinka was doing his homework on former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson was the Nets head coach for three full seasons (2016-2019) before resigning in March of 2020. Brooklyn hired two-time MVP Steve Nash to replace Atkinson.
But this is LA LA Land. A place full of speculation and rumors.
Many basketball fans jumped to the conclusion that Pelinka was discussing a possible trade involving Kyrie Irving with Marks. Some of that wild speculation is fueled by Kyrie's recent comments admitting that he wish he would've handled his Cleveland days with LeBron a little differently.
“We didn’t talk during that time. When I look back on what I was going through at that time, I wish I did, because it would’ve been a good understanding of what the future will hold for both of us and we know how much power we both had together. Me and him in the league together running Cleveland, and then being able to put a better team together every single year would’ve definitely been worth it.”
By all accounts, Irving appears to have a great relationship with Nets superstar Kevin Durant. It seems highly unlikely that Irving, nor the Nets, would be interested in a potential Irving-Westbrook trade. Especially since Durant voluntarily left Westbrook and the Thunder via free agency in the summer of 2016.
There's a high probability that Pelinka was simply seeking more information on Kenny Atkinson from Marks, or, just a Chicago steakhouse recommendation.
More must-reads: