The Los Angeles Lakers picked up an impressive victory on the road on Christmas Day in an absolute nail-biter, taking down the Golden State Warriors 115-113. Despite losing Anthony Davis in the first quarter to a minor ankle injury, LeBron put up yet another double-double (31 points and 10 rebounds), while Austin Reaves stunned the crowd with his first career triple-double (26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).

That said, more reputable sports journalists are likely correct in their analysis of the Lakers’ current flaws and long-term trajectory, suggesting that injuries coupled with a shallow bench have left the team without the depth needed to win a championship this year.

That has been the story of this season so far for the Lakers and the pressure is growing on Pelinka to improve this roster.

Pelinka finds himself walking a tightrope as the trade deadline approaches. While the Lakers have been linked to numerous trade targets and appear eager to deal, securing the right package has proven challenging.

The front office faces a delicate balancing act – they can’t afford to mortgage their future with LeBron James in the twilight of his career, but sources indicate they’ll pull the trigger if a deal checks all their boxes. The stakes couldn’t be higher for Pelinka.

With each passing game, the pressure mounts to surround James and Anthony Davis with the pieces needed for a championship run.

Nevertheless, the Lakers’ GM must weigh the immediate impact of any trade decision against the team’s long-term stability, knowing that one wrong move could set the franchise back years.

Here’s the crux of the issue: the Lakers have multiple first-round picks at their disposal to trade and, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania in an appearance on First Take, they are willing to move them in a deal for players who can greatly impact this version of the team, so long as they also also serve the organization’s long-term goals: “The Lakers are in somewhat of a different boat.

They feel like they’ve got their top-heavy, when you think about LeBron James, Anthony Davis how do we round out this team around both of those guys?

They’re monitoring the sellers around the NBA: Portland, Washington, Toronto, maybe Chicago and my sources in that Lakers front office tell me they are open to moving, they’ve got three first-round picks they can trade, they’re open to moving that in a potential trade.

But they want a player or players that they feel can get into this iteration of this team now with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but can also play for three, four, five more years under JJ Redick as the coach.” The market is there. Portland, Washington, Toronto, and potentially Chicago are all potential sellers.

But the infamous “Lakers Tax” – the premium teams typically demand in trades with Los Angeles – complicates matters. Rob Pelinka faces mounting pressure to improve the roster without mortgaging the franchise’s future, but what the right trade could be is unclear.

Their Christmas Day victory over Golden State proved that the Lakers can compete with the West’s elite. But with February’s trade deadline approaching, Pelinka needs to thread the needle between aggressive pursuit of talent and smart asset management.

The right deal could transform this team from occasional giant-killer to legitimate title contender.