Free agent Gary Trent Jr. faces the heat after the LA Lakers fumbled another trade. While the NBA off-season has caused a stir in the hoops nation, it certainly didn’t at the Los Angeles. Apart from picking Bronny James and Dalton Knetch, the team hasn’t done anything worthwhile in the free agency market. Following a series of miss-hits, Rob Pelinka once again dropped a sitter with the Gary Trent Jr. trade. Moreover, the 25-year-old guard has latched on to a Rob Pelinka curse.

There’s no doubt that Pelinka made some impressive moves in the off-season, roping in JJ Redick as head coach and two draft picks. Other than that, it has been an utter failure at the free agency. Before Trent Jr., the team desperately looked to rope in Klay Thompson. Notably, LeBron James was even planning on taking a pay cut, but Thompson eventually went with the Mavs. Similarly, the team blew DeMar DeRozan, as a report suggested that the Lakers didn’t really make an enticing offer.

After a few days, Gary Trent Jr. came onto the Lakers’ radar, but it didn’t take off as usual. And highlighting the team’s borderline second apron situation, Marc Stein claimed that they “can’t even make a run” especially after bringing LeBron James back for two years for $101 million. Moreover, after the Lakers’ failed attempt, the Denver Nuggets came up as the frontrunner for Trent, especially after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. However, the Nuggets have also pulled out of the race. Now, the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks are expected to sign a one-year deal, as per BucketAccess.

Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports revealed that Trent Jr. declined the Nuggets’ option because he was expecting something more than a minimum contract. Despite having a decent resume with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 16.4 points in his four-year stint, he is coming off a sub-par season, averaging 13.7 points.

The Lakers and their missed opportunities

The Lakers have stuck with the same core team with which they lost the first round against the Denver Nuggets. The team went desperately after Klay Thompson after he cut his ties with the Golden State Warriors. Even the Lakers’ guard, Austin Reaves, speaking of the missed opportunity, said, “It would have been dope, I love Klay.” But, the 34-year-old de-railed the attempt and signed up with the Mavs.

On the other hand, DeMar DeRozan, who was the only leftover star player in the off-season, had a lot of eyes on him. Eventually, the Sacramento Kings lured him into the side after the LA side failed to entice him. Moreover, this is the second time when the team failed to rope him in. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, DeRozan approached LeBron James to form a Big 3 with Anthony Davis, as per Yahoo Sports. But the team ended up roping in Russell Westbrook, giving away Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Now, after missing out on two veteran talents, the Lakers failed to rope in the upcoming talent as well. Speaking of the missed opportunities, King James said, “We don’t sit here and lie about or cry about it. We move on and Klay’s a great player. Obviously, DeMar’s a great player. Valanciunas was one of those guys who ended up going to Washington, was someone that was in talks with us, but we move on to see how we continue to get better.”

Will the team move on from the missed opportunities and make it big in the next season? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.