According to Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes, Rob Pelinka has reached an agreement with the Lakers on a contract extension that will keep him in town through 2026.
In an article on Saturday evening, Haynes dropped the inside details on the move and highlighted what it means for L.A.’s future.
Check it out:
Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has agreed to a multiyear contract extension, league sources told Yahoo Sports. The new contract structure goes through 2026, sources said.
The Lakers’ ownership group, led by Jeanie Buss, believes deeply in management and the coach being in alignment on one vision. Pelinka’s contract is now set to expire at the same time as first-year head coach Darvin Ham, who signed a four-year deal.
Pelinka, 52, has been with the Lakers since 2017 as general manager and was promoted to vice president of basketball operations in 2020.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Rob Pelinka — vice president of basketball operations — agreed to terms on a contract extension through 2026, league sources tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/tqyWUtGTky
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 8, 2022
Under Rob Pelinka, the Los Angeles Lakers have had mixed results. While it was Pelinka who got Davis and built that Lakers roster in 2020, it was also he who broke that team up the following season and acquired Russell Westbrook last summer.
Rob Pelinka Is Dedicated To Winning With LeBron James And Anthony Davis
Needless to say, Rob has not done a flawless job as GM/VP, but he remains committed to surrounding LeBron James with the best talent available.
“Let me abundantly clear: We have one of the great players in LeBron James to ever play the game on our team,” Pelinka said on his long-term plans for the Lakers. “He committed to us with a long-term contract, a three-year contract. So of course we will do everything we can, picks included, to make deals that give us a chance to help LeBron get to the end. He committed to our organization. That’s got to be a bilateral commitment, and it’s there. Again, as I started the question by saying, we are committed to doing everything we can to put the best team around LeBron as long as it’s a smart trade because of the limitations caused by the Stepien rule and the implications of that.”
It is no secret that Pelinka has close ties to Jeanie and many other high-ranking lakers officials. As Kobe’s agent for years, he grew close to the organization and was personally recommended for the job by Bryant himself.
But no matter what you have to say about the Lakers and their recent moves, bringing in Pelinka was one thing that they did right, and extending him was, undoubtedly, the best move they could have made amid all this internal strife.
Hopefully, it pays off with another championship.
