Larry Nance Jr was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers last year as part of a salary-clearing maneuver for the Los Angeles Lakers, and there has been talk that the move was made despite the young forward being told his spot on the roster was safe. On Tuesday, Nance put those rumors to rest.
Earlier this month, Bill Oram of The Athletic reported that Nance approached Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka before the trade deadline last season and asked for some clarity on his future, as he and his fiancee were shopping for homes. Pelinka supposedly told Nance to go ahead and buy a house in Los Angeles and that he would not be traded unless the deal resulted in the Lakers landing one of the game’s three best players.
According to Nance, that is not how it went down. He tweeted on Tuesday that he still has a “great relationship” with Pelinka.
Just got a chance to read some of these articles about Rob Pelinka supposedly promising me I’d stay in LA.. Wanted to clear the air and say that is not the case. This league is a business and we all know it. Rob and I had and still have a great relationship.
— Larry Nance Jr (@Larrydn22) April 30, 2019
Nance later said he was happy he ended up with the Cavaliers, who signed him to a four-year contract extension. Fortunately, he and his fiancee never ended up buying a home in the LA area.
There are many reasons to believe the Lakers’ front office is not in great shape at the moment, but it wouldn’t make much sense for Nance to lie on Pelinka’s behalf. Perhaps the initial report was a bit misleading.
