Letters: On big deals, there’s no shielding the Lakers from the agents

Bill Plaschke warns that Rob Pelinka must not foul up again, as if Pelinka has anything to do with any of this. Does anyone really believe the Lakers are in chaos? Does anyone believe Magic Johnson was responsible for LeBron James coming to L.A.? Does anyone believe Pelinka orchestrated the Anthony Davis trade?

I hate to break this to your naive scribes, but there is no Easter Bunny, no Santa Claus and the structure of the entire NBA has shifted right under your noses. The president of basketball operations for the Lakers was never Magic Johnson and it isn’t Rob Pelinka now. The PBO is Klutch Sports.

By allowing rap stars and current players to own talent agencies, and perhaps worse, to open itself up to partnerships in gambling, Adam Silver is playing with fire. Tampering rules? Good luck with that. While the balance of the NBA hangs at Nobu, Spago and cigar parties at the compound in Brentwood, the rest of the Lakers roster will be whatever LeBron and Rich Paul says it is.

William David Stone

Beverly Hills

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It is entirely understandable that Rob Pelinka wouldn’t have a complete understanding of the rules governing the salary cap. It is unconscionable and unforgivable that he doesn’t have one or two (or five) such employees who can tell him what he needs to know before pulling the trigger on a deal of this magnitude. How can that conversation not take place? The impact of this trade will last a decade.

Wanting to add AD is the easy part. Any 12-year-old Laker fan could have known that. Giving up a lot was surely a given. However, we now know that Pelinka gave up so much to do this deal, seemingly without any other serious bidders. And he didn’t do it smartly.

Now, he has to gut the roster even further to preserve cap space he could have maintained by postponing the deal to July 30?

GMs, with prepared, informed, competent staffs, need to do the heavy lifting that allows them to compete effectively and this is where Pelinka seems to be embarrassingly lacking. Pelinka is likely viewed by other GMs as a child among men. The team, and the fans, deserve better.

Andy Reimer

Westwood

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What’s amazing to me is all the talking heads who badmouthed the Lakers just a few weeks ago are now back on the bandwagon and already naming them NBA champs. The one person caught in all the crosshairs is and has been Rob Pelinka. All he has done is do everything that Magic Johnson wouldn’t or couldn’t do. He fired Luke Walton and traded for Anthony Davis. And, oh yeah, rid us all of LaVar Ball.

Instead of continuing the line that the Lakers fall from grace has all been because nobody trusted Pelinka or nobody wanted to deal with Pelinka, it seems to me that the real culprit is and has been Magic Johnson. So, instead of continuing the attack on Pelinka, why don’t we wait to see what team is on the court at the start of the season and where they end up at the end.

Geno Apicella

Placentia

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Now that the Lakers have provided us with another dynamic duo, let’s see what the “LeBrow” era can do for us fans.

Mel Mecham

Culver City

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Swapping Anthony Davis for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart? The Pelicans would have done better with Lucille Ball, Luther Ingram and Kevin Hart! Rob Pelinka must have been wearing a mask when he robbed the Pelicans and a gag to muffle the laughter when they agreed to accept that pile of garbage for a perennial All-Star.

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

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Who actually cares how the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis? Dylan Hernandez reminds us of the search for the “second gunman” on the grassy knoll. Bottom line, we got him! Go Lakers.

Patrick Kelley

Los Angeles

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I am a high school teacher in Orange County. My salary is $63,000 per year. I will donate it to the Lakers if it will help them sign another player.

Mark Berglas

Huntington Beach

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Listen, I’m as big of a USC honk as the next guy, so the return of Anthony Davis excites me too, but Plaschke ought to temper his hyperbole over a 66-year-old former gridiron legend who made his reputation by destroying Notre Dame and dancing in the end zone, as there’s zero evidence that at 5-10 his skills will translate to today’s NBA.

Steve Ross

Beverly Hills

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Now that this NBA team will potentially have Lonzo, Brandon, Josh, three Lakers draft picks, Julius Randle, Jrue Holiday and Stanley Johnson, will they be called the New Orleans Pelicans of Los Angeles?

Stan Shirai

Torrance

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This is by far the greatest trade in Lakers history! It is exactly what everyone in Los Angeles has been waiting for. LaVar Ball is finally gone!

Jack Saltzberg

Valley Village

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There are many questions that can’t seem to be answered. Pete Rose, Hall of Fame? Is horse racing dead? $40 million on Luol Deng?

And, why can’t Magic Johnson just shut up, slink away from the home provided by Dr. Buss and get on with his life?

Jeff Heister

Chatsworth

Stick with it

While the Dodgers have been extremely successful at the plate and with their starting pitching, their strategy of having a group of players rotating into a new position of the seven in the field each night is not a sound long-term strategy. Players need to stay in a fixed spot in and remain there 90% of the time, lest they make lapses in judgment so crucial in baseball to determining outcomes. This will be especially true in the post-season.

Scott Essman

Glendora

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I honestly believe that Kenley Jansen’s pitching performances this season has earned him a position, for the National League during the All-Star break. I can’t think of another pitcher who deserves to pitch for the Home Run Derby more than he has.

Bill Piercy

Long Beach

It’s a living

When I grow up, I want to be the GM of the Angels. Seriously, could I do any worse?

I am going to sign Matt Harvey to an $11-million deal. I’ll take Trevor Cahill for a mere $9 million enjoy his 7.18 ERA, I can talk Arte Moreno into giving Cody Allen $8.5 million. He will lead these three with his stellar 6.26 ERA (on second thought, I think I’ll cut him midseason).

Just to add a little gas to this fire, I want Jonathon Lucroy with his .230 batting average and Justin Bour with his .170 average and pay them $5.8 million combined.

Hmmm, why is my team two games under .500 and 140 games behind Houston? Must be the manager. I’ll wait until September and get rid of him.

Terry Ayjian

Yorba Linda

Chill, Carli

Carli Lloyd is in Paris and is bored because she can’t find anything to do other than watch Netflix? If she doesn’t have the wherewithal to find a few things to do in the City of Lights (you could spend a week just going to the Louvre without seeing the same thing twice) perhaps she doesn’t have the wit or the imagination to play first team soccer. Certainly the U.S. team could come up with a few little things for her to do?

Nancy Wright

Pasadena

Knee jerk

Sean McVay is a great coach and leader. He is humble and honest. He should have no problem walking up to the Pearly Gates as long as he doesn’t have to respond to questions about Todd Gurley’s knee.

Anthony Leon

Eastvale

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