Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka believes the NBA franchise share similarities with NFL Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots.

Occupying 10th spot in the Western Conference, the Lakers tried to overhaul their roster before Thursday's trade deadline, however, they were unable to strike a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans for wantaway star Anthony Davis.

It has been a topsy-turvy season since LeBron James' arrival amid reports of a fractured relationship between team-mates after the Lakers' failure to trade for Davis.

Tom Brady and the Patriots also faced some adversity en route to a sixth Super Bowl championship last week, and Pelinka compared the Lakers to New England.

"I think early on they were facing a ton of adversity," Pelinka told ESPN. "There were lots of stories being told about fractured relationships, but what did they do? They kind of came together. ...

"My hope is our story is a little bit, maybe, like that where we're on the outside but we find a way to get in the playoffs with the skill sets we've added.

"And then much like [Tom] Brady did, we let one of the all-time greats -- LeBron [James] -- take the helm for this team and make some noise."

The Lakers were determined to sign Davis before he becomes a free agent, with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram among the players on the table as well as draft picks.

A deal did not materialise and while tight-lipped on what transpired, Pelinka said: "The thing I've learned in negotiating is you can only control your own tenor and your own discussions on your side.

"And try to approach everything to be smartly aggressive and treat every negotiation with dignity and professionalism. And I think in general, around the league, that's what you get.

"These teams are all represented by really smart, really good general managers. And I think the negotiations in general have that spirit and that feel, and that's the expectation of all the teams.

"In terms of is there a jealousy because of the Lakers' success over the years, or because of perceived advantage because of the city that we're in, that's probably a better question for you to ask the other teams. I'd rather not sit in a seat of judgment on what other people might think."