Lakers News: Rob Pelinka Lists Surprising LA Players Among Team 'Core'

Are these guys off the trade table?

Dec 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka looks on before the in season tournament championship final against the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers team president Rob Pelinka, speaking during a press conference to announce the arrival of JJ Redick as the team's new head coach, listed some fringe young rotation pieces as being part of the team's "core." For fans hoping these players could be used as trade sweeteners, this is not what they want to hear.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Pelinka supposedly considers Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Max Christie, and Jalen Hood-Schifino to be key players moving forward.

It's no secret that Los Angeles loves Reaves, whom the team signed to an absolute steal of a deal last summer on a four-year, $53.8 million contract. Hachimura is a talented player, but a bit pricey, and his mid-sized contract is the exact kind of thing the team could look to include for salary-matching purposes in a trade for a higher-upside asset (i.e. with picks attached). Christie was a fringe rotation player who was on the outside looking in during the playoffs, as then-head coach Darvin Ham looked to prioritize bizarre triple-point guard lineups at times against the Denver Nuggets, which naturally flamed out in spectacular fashion. Hood-Schifino was borderline unplayable last season and looked like a major project.

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