"Rob Pelinka thought he was playing NBA 2K25" - NBA fans troll Lakers for waiving forward 24 hours after signing him

Some of the decisions made by the LA Lakers in the last 24 hours have baffled one and all. On Thursday, September 5, the front office signed forward Alex Fudge, and it took just a month for them to request waivers for him. It was a move that confused fans who took to X (formerly Twitter) to troll the organization.

Aside from hiring JJ Redick as the head coach and drafting Bronny James with the 55th pick, the Lakers have not made any significant changes. The roster from last season wasn't overhauled as they failed to acquire quality players when free agency started. Trades didn't work in their favor either.

Max Christie signed a new contract and Collin Castleton was also given a two-way contract. Before they requested waivers for Fudge, the team waived Vincent Valerio-Bodon.

As one would expect in today's times, netizens did not spare the team and their management:

"Rob Pelinka thought he was playing NBA 2K25," one fan said.

"But we let darvin hamas stay for 2 years 😭," another fan compared the move to Darvin Ham's tenure with the team.

"Did he sign yesterday. wtf is happening Yall," a fan was confused.

"Alex Fudge's time as a Laker," a fan posted along with a "The Simpsons" reference.

"The Fudge Era #GoneTooSoon" another fan made a sarcastic comment.

"That n***a was on the team for 16 hours 💀." a fan said.

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Lakers star predicted to sign a 3-year-$212 million deal

The Lakers' next priority is to secure Anthony Davis to a new deal, after giving LeBron James a two-year, $104 million contract. He's on the final year of his five-year, $189 million extension. While other experts wonder what his next deal could look like, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has predicted how much the organization could spend to keep Davis.

According to Pincus, a three-year, $212.2 million contract looks possible.

"Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers will earn $58.5 million for 2026-27, with player options for 2027-28 at $62.79 million. Jokić of the Denver Nuggets is slightly higher at $59 million and $62.84 million. All three can void their options years and extend next summer, adding three additional seasons each, starting at $65.5 million for a total of $212.2 million," Pincus wrote.

The reporter also shared that it's possible that the contract could grow close to $300 million.

"By waiting a year, extending during the 2026-27 season, those numbers can grow to $293.4 million for Davis over four years (limited by the Over-38 Rule)."

Davis is an important player for the organization. He helped them win the title in 2020 and has been a consistent star.