The Los Angeles Lakers made just one move at the 2026 NBA trade deadline, but general manager Rob Pelinka insists the organization was anything but passive.Instead of chasing splash deals, the Lakers focused on preserving financial flexibility, highlighted by their trade that sent Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for sharpshooter Luke Kennard.The move reinforced a larger organizational strategy, one Pelinka believes required discipline rather than headline-grabbing transactions, much to the dismay of Lakers fans.I would say we were aggressive, Pelinka said according to ESPNs Dave McMenamin. And one form of being aggressive is saying no to moves that come your way that might not be best for the short- and long-term future. Thats being aggressive, even though you end up doing nothing, because its hard to say no sometimes to getting a good player that could be a quick short-term fix, but could have implications for the long term where it doesnt fit into the overall vision you have for the team.Pelinka continued speaking on the positioning of the Lakers for the summer.I think its clear for all the teams in the league that this dual-apron system is harsh and strict, and some teams have dabbled over the second apron and realize it can be a real challenge. Knowing that theres an unintended consequence when a new system comes into place, teams kind of learn their way through it, Pelinka said. We felt like creating optionality or having optionality now is really a positive thing for us this coming offseason. Because theres some teams that maybe have gotten too deep into the aprons. And I think players, we see around the league, that become available when teams get in that position.Related Article: LeBron James Shows Respect to Steph Curry After He Sat Out Warriors-LakersSo, whether its through free agency, whether its keeping our own players, whether its looking around the league for players that are really good that maybe teams are trying to get off salary, we feel like therell be so many different ways to complete our roster in the offseason.READ MORE: Lakers Loom as Summer Power Player in Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
