The Lakers pulling off a trade in December had everyone surprise, including those around the NBA.
While many were calling for it, few realistically expected the Lakers to make a trade before the calendar even turned to 2025.
However, even amidst the team’s best winning run of the season, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka pulled the trigger on a trade that centered around sending D’Angelo Russell back to Brooklyn for Dorian Finney-Smith.