If there are two things Rob Pelinka has mastered, it’s trading away or for guys named Russell, and analogies. The Lakers general manager got to show off the latter skill at Thursday’s press conference when asked about re-signing a player that fits in the former category, D’Angelo Russell.
Pelinka, who has memorably both compared the young Lakers to “Lover” singer Taylor Swift and compared players having to deal with trade rumors to two lovers on an overstuffed trolley car, had another love-related comparison to make about Russell’s 2023 stint with the team, which saw him come in at the trade deadline, help fuel a run to the Western Conference Finals, and then get benched in the team’s season-ending loss to the Denver Nuggets.