Rob Pelinka is leaving a two-for-one trade on the table as the Los Angeles Lakers decide how to reduce their roster before the regular season.
Speaking Thursday alongside coach JJ Redick, Pelinka discussed using training camp to evaluate a group with 16 guaranteed contracts. A trade that sends out two players and brings back one is another possible way to reach 15.
Rob Pelinka addresses currently having 16 players on the roster, but only being allowed to carry to 15 come opening night. He said that this could create more competition in camp and the team can still pursue 2-for-1 "consolidation" trades in the meantime
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 24, 2026
“Behind that evaluation of who’s emerging in camp, there’s also consolidation trades that could still be looked at — trading two guys out, bringing one in,” Pelinka said. “There’s a number of ways that that could be addressed.”
Pelinka plans to use the coming month to assess the final roster while exploring consolidation trades. The comments leave the method unresolved, with camp competition still part of the decision.
The Lakers’ roster squeeze has been evident for weeks. Thursday’s development is Pelinka’s acknowledgment that the solution could involve exchanging players rather than simply choosing someone to cut.
Why a 2-for-1 trade could serve two purposes
The immediate benefit is straightforward: Starting with 16 players, sending out two and receiving one leaves 15. A one-for-one exchange would leave the same roster-count problem to solve afterward.
The basketball benefit would depend on the return. If two players are competing for limited minutes, exchanging them for someone who fills a more useful role could make the rotation easier to organize.
That would be a reason to pursue a deal beyond satisfying the roster limit, although reducing the head count does not by itself make a trade an upgrade. Redick’s comments Thursday help explain why fit matters.
He identified Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler as three likely starters, leaving the other two positions unsettled.
JJ Redick says that he is "pretty confident" in three of his starters being Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. Beyond that, he says — with a smirk — he is confident that the other two spots, "won't be two white guys."
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 24, 2026
That gives the Lakers two different questions to answer: who belongs on the roster and who best complements the players expected to start. A potential acquisition would need to be evaluated against the players already competing for those roles.
Redick also intends to expand his rotation.
“We’re going to play more guys this year. We’re just naturally deeper,” Redick said.
A consolidation deal would therefore involve a trade-off: the chance to improve one role against the loss of another option off the bench. Camp can help reveal whether the Lakers have overlapping strengths they can spare or depth they would be better off keeping.
Why the Lakers can evaluate before making a move
The NBA’s collective bargaining guide permits up to 21 players under contract during training camp. The normal regular-season maximum is 15 standard contracts, with two-way deals counted separately.
Carrying the current group into camp therefore does not require an immediate cut. Timing also affects the trade pool.
Under the guide’s general rule, newly signed free agents on standard contracts cannot be traded until Dec. 15 or three months after signing, whichever is later. Some re-signings have a longer restriction.
A preseason proposal has to account for eligibility as well as roster fit. Waiving a player is another route to reducing the count, but it does not automatically remove the financial obligation.
The league’s guide includes salary still owed to waived players in team salary, subject to adjustments.
For Pelinka, the next step is evaluating which players earn a place and whether an available trade improves the resulting group. His comments establish a possible route to 15, with the outgoing players and any return still undetermined.
