According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers are not deviating from their original course when it comes to making trades before the February 6 deadline.

“I’ve heard that the Lakers have been relatively patient with the trade approach and are increasingly waiting for February 6th,” Buha said at 1:05:45 in his latest episode Buha’s block Podcast. “If the right deal comes together quicker they will get there, but it seems like you just have to wait until around mid to late January for now.”

Before the 2024-25 season began, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the front office was open to a blockbuster trade. However, any decision of this magnitude would require a lot of thought, and he set a schedule of around 30 games to truly evaluate the current roster.

With a score of 18:13 and fifth place in the Western Conference, we have reached this threshold. Although Los Angeles has won five of its last six games, few would consider the team a favorite for the championship.

That’s why the fan base is becoming more and more restless. The need for reinforcements was clear over the summer and the Lakers’ inconsistent performance has only reinforced that belief.

The idea that Pelinka is waiting for the right deal to come together is also becoming a source of frustration, because a franchise that relies on 39-year-old LeBron James has to show some urgency at some point.

Sure, Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox could theoretically be in play, but the ouster of head coach Mike Brown seems to indicate that they want to keep Fox at least until the deadline. The Miami Heat have taken a more outwardly firm stance on a Jimmy Butler transfer.

If you’re the Lakers, can you afford to sit idle and do something big next summer?

Pelinka’s hesitation is understandable, as he can ill afford to relive the failure of the Russell Westbrook trade. But he has to be ready to take the plunge sooner or later.