Getty Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka during a press conference in June 2024 As the February 5 NBA trade deadline approaches, it’s become increasingly clear that the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of reinforcements. Injuries have defined much of their season, repeatedly disrupting rotations and continuity. Even as players have cycled back into the line-up, however, the broader sense is that the current roster construction is trending in the wrong direction. Los Angeles has lost nine of its