The Dallas Mavericks have edged out LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers in the Klay Thompson sweepstakes. Thompson chose to lace it up alongside Luka Doncic and Co., despite being born in LA and his father Mychal Thompson being a former Laker. Many Lakers fans have been dismayed by General Manager Rob Pelinka for missing out on an essential piece for the championship quest. FS1 analyst Nick Wright also shared a similar sentiment while ripping into Pelinka.
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He blasted the Lakers GM for not acquiring the former Dubs sharpshooter despite LeBron James’ willingness to take a pay cut in his upcoming max contract. He was also baffled that the Lakers couldn’t bank on the fact that Klay’s father Mychal Thompson is a broadcaster for the Lakers.
Wright also credited the Mavericks for attracting free agents, something the Lakers have been unable to do. They rely on trades to enhance their roster. Additionally, he even criticized Pelinka for his inability to convince back-to-back NCAA champion coach Dan Hurley for the Lakers head coach job.
He seems to imply that if the Lakers had a more seasoned coach instead of rookie coach JJ Redick, Thompson would have been lured by the prospect. In a behind-the-scene debate with First Things First co-host, Kevin Wildes, Wright lamented,
“So what does Rob Pelinka do? Like seriously. You have the greatest player ever[LeBron James] saying, ‘Hey I will take less money if you can land someday… The Dallas Mavericks winning bidding war for a player whose dad is your broadcaster! You can’t sign the coach you try to sign. You can’t land Klay. What does he[Pelinka] do?”
“So what does Rob Pelinka do?” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/wDzZCFeQNY
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) July 1, 2024
As a LeBron James superfan, Wright is unhappy with the LA front office. His statements also exude that he is not a fan of the new Lakers H because of his inexperience.
While his concern about the franchise’s future has some merit, the Lakers are also bound by their bloated luxury tax bill. They can’t offer big bucks or a long-term commitment yet and are trying to build cohesion between existing pieces.
Many Lakers fans are disappointed because their favorite squad has been a woeful long-range shooting team, an issue that Klay Thompson would have fixed wonderfully. However, the 2024 free agency isn’t over yet so there is still a potential for major moves.
