The Los Angeles Lakers are facing immense pressure next season and GM Rob Pelinka may have the most pressure of all team personnel. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, all eyes will be on Pelinka this season and he will be the main subject of blame if things go wrong.
“Coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history in 2021-22, Pelinka signed an extension through 2025-26 — receiving a major vote of confidence from team governor Jeanie Buss,” wrote McMenamin. “Since then, the Lakers have made one trip to the Western Conference finals, but they followed that up with a first-round exit and [Darvin] Ham’s dismissal. The only way the next couple of years can be deemed a success for the franchise is if it can contend in [LeBron] James’ twilight years while simultaneously getting [J.J.] Redick’s career off the ground to usher in the next era for the team. Simple, right?”
Pelinka began as a player agent, where he represented various high-profile clients including Tracy McGrady, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. He was most known for being the agent of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who retired in 2016 after 20 years in the NBA. It was through his ties to Kobe that Pelinka got in deep with the Lakers and when it was time to pick a new person to run the organization, he was given the nod along with former NBA legend Magic Johnson.
After a falling out with Magic, Pelinka was promoted to President of basketball operations and he’s essentially been running the show ever since. He oversaw the arrival of LeBron James and helped orchestrate the trade for Anthony Davis in 2019. He built the roster that won the 2020 championship and was been directly linked to the moves that helped them achieve their greatest successes.
Of course, Pelinka is also responsible for the Lakers’ recent decline. He broke up the championship core in favor of new signings and it was a decision many have recently come out to condemn. This summer, after losing in the first round this past April, Pelinka barely made any significant moves at all except drafting Bronny James in the second round.
Going into this next season, the Lakers are projected to be a first-round playoff team at best and unless they make moves to improve their depth they may not even get that far. Sady, as LeBron and Anthony Davis get older, the Lakers championship odds will only continue to drop unless they do something drastic.
And yet, after a disastrous campaign in 2022, Pelinka was given an extension by Jeanie Buss and he still has her complete confidence today. As the man trusted by Kobe, Pelinka’s job security is strong right now, and his grip on the front office is tighter than ever.
But if this next season goes poorly for the Lakers, or LeBron starts to express unhappiness, Pelinka’s position could start to change. Just like the previous two coaches he hired, Rob could become the top scapegoat if the Lakers continue to fail — and as one of the longest-tenured members of the team, his departure will trigger the beginning of a brand new era for the organization.
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