Analyzing The Los Angeles Lakers’ Lax Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Lakers’ quiet 2016 trade deadline indicates a full commitment to tanking for a top pick in the upcoming draft and building for the future.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, another NBA trade deadline has come and gone.

While there were no blockbuster moves involving star players across the league, the trades were made up of teams at the peak of playoff contention making moves to bolster their late season pushes and struggling young teams adding veteran presences to their up-and-coming rosters.

Notably absent from this year’s commotion was a team usually at the center of it: the Los Angeles Lakers.

A franchise notorious for making monumental trades was remarkably quiet this year, with not even so much as a legitimate rumor of a deal coming up in relation to the team. Despite putting multiple veterans on the trading block, the team opted to hold its current hand and play it:

There are multiple factors that could be pointed to as reasons for the Lakers’ absence from trade banter. Barring a blockbuster deal, the team likely wouldn’t stand to improve from any deal to the point of playoff contention.

More importantly, their rank at the bottom of the Western Conference and only 3.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for worst in the league puts them in great position to land a top-three pick and a shot at a new franchise player in June’s draft. The team will also have massive amounts of cap space to flaunt in pitches to top-tier free agents this upcoming offseason.

Mitch Kupchak and company understand that, and they’re staying the course to accomplish a quick but complete rebuild.

Let’s face it: with all of these factors in play, there was no reason for the Lakers to seek a deal.

They’re well aware that, with an 11-44 record thus far, this season is a bust. They’re also aware that they have a talented young core whose development is a priority, despite playing the backend to the Kobe Bryant farewell tour and being mentioned in several trade rumors surrounding the organization.

In a sense, their behavior at this year’s deadline shows a change of the guard. It reflects a management team that has finally acknowledged that its future as its top priority and accepted that patience, not impulsiveness, is key in righting the ship for the fallen franchise.

That’s why they didn’t press to trade away fledgling assets or bring in a big name on an expiring contract, especially since those same big names will be ripe for the picking come June and July.

More hoops habit: 2016 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

Lakers fans can finally rejoice in the fact that the team didn’t opt to make an unnecessary, impulsive deadline move, decided to ride this train — messy and cringe-worthy as it is — for the rest of the season and bank on what could potentially be their hottest summer yet.

Now just sit back, relax, enjoy the last few games of Kobe Bryant’s career and hope that the team is bad enough to net a top-three pick in June.