Laker Nation was left heartbroken after Dan Hurley rejected Rob Pelinka’s $70 million offer to become the Purple and Gold’s new head coach. With their primary target slipping away, fans have even started wondering if Pelinka still has what it takes to bring top talent to the Lakers. Because of his reputation taking a hit, there is also a growing risk of him losing his job! In a desperate attempt to remain the GM, he might try to lure superstar Trae Young to LA, a move that could be sabotaged by Bron’s agent Rich Paul, as per speculations on The Bill Simmons Podcast.

Simmons and his guest Ryen Russillo claimed that the Hawks might be interested in trading Trae Young after his failure with Dejounte Murray. And while Young has been linked with the Lakers in the past, his recent fallout with Klutch Sports could cause a hindrance to him teaming up with LeBron and AD. Notably, Trae left Rich Paul’s agency last month and switched to CAA, which left Russillo wondering, “When Trae left Klutch, all of our first instincts were, okay that makes the Lakers thing more challenging.”

Moreover, Russillo imagined a scenario where the Lakers and Hawks agree to do the Trae deal, but Klutch might not help facilitate it now that Trae is no longer a part of the agency. That could cause a huge problem for Pelinka, who is looking to build a Championship roster and not lose LeBron. While Trae’s Klutch situation raises concerns, Bill claimed that if the trade helps his two clients, LeBron and AD, then Rich Paul might be okay with the move. “That’d be crazy,” he said at the notion of Klutch sabotaging the deal.

Will Trae Young’s addition help the Lakers?

Just in case Rob Pelinka pulls off a deal and adds Trae to his roster, it might not help the Lakers win a title right away. Being one of the biggest superstars in the league, the Lakers will have to give up a lot of their assets to acquire Trae, including their draft picks and a few of their best role players. But yes, Trae will make the Lakers a much better offensive team because of his elite shooting and playmaking ability. Averaging over 25 points in his career while dishing out nearly 10 assists, Trae is a lethal offensive weapon.

But Bill Simmons has his reservations. “I don’t see how that improves any aspect of their ceiling to win a title,” he said. Because of Trae’s small frame and lack of guarding ability, the Lakers will be worse on defense with him. More importantly, LeBron, at 40, might have to end up playing as a Power Forward, which will not do the team any good. The only positive that could come out of this trade is that Trae, for the first time in his career, will get to play with proven Champions. That could help him elevate his game.

More importantly, Pelinka would then be able to save face and likely save his job by bringing a superstar of Trae’s caliber to LA after missing out on Dan Hurley. Do you think Rob Pelinka should pursue Trae Young this summer?

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise to stardom. Keep checking this space for more such updates.