NBA Rivals Don't Want to Trade with LA, Pelinka Reveals Lack of Move at Deadline

In a shocking move for the NBA media and the LA Lakers fans, the organization stood pat and didn't make a single move in the trade deadline, despite the team having different struggles, between some players underperforming, injuries, bad coaching, and more.

Thanks to Kobe Bryant's statue ceremony, GM Rob Pelinka broke the silence and explained how NBA teams are willing to make trades with other teams but when it has to do with negotiating with the Lakers, they ask for a higher price, and now the front office is naming it as a "Lakers tax."

They're calling it a “Lakers tax,” according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Rumors suggest LA didn't agree with the asking prices from rival teams for role players. For that reason, the front office decided not to make a move.

“In conversations with rival teams, there was a sense of something of a ‘Lakers tax,' with Los Angeles being asked to pay more for role players in potential deals than other suitors. The Lakers were surprised by some of the final prices quoted for certain players. Several of the Lakers' top targets — [Dejounte] Murray, Toronto's Bruce Brown Jr., Brooklyn's Dorian Finney-Smith, Washington's Tyus Jones, and Chicago's duo of Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond — didn't move at the deadline, a sign to Los Angeles that demands were out of control.”

Rob Pelinka explained why they didn't make any moves at the NBA's trade deadline

“We talked a lot about continuity at the beginning of the season,” Pelinka said. “We really like the players on our team and we’re confident in this group of players. Of course, that said, our job, my job, is to always look for ways to upgrade our roster. But you can’t buy a house that’s not for sale. We spent a lot of time looking for ways to use assets to make our team better. But the right move wasn’t there."