It’s been a season of change for the Lakers amid Mark Walter’s takeover of the organization. As he installed his own team of executives to lead the front office, many expected Rob Pelinka to be dismissed, much in the same way that they replaced the President of Business Operations, Tim Harris, with Lon Rosen. According to Dan Woike, however, Pelinka’s job is safe as they establish a clear chain of command.
“In a conversation with reporters, new Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen says the plan is for Rob Pelinka, with input from Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, will continue to handle basketball operations,” wrote Woike. “Pelinka told reporters the plan is to have an expanded front office this summer.”
Pelinka has been effectively running the show since 2017, when he was hired on the recommendation of Kobe Bryant to replace Mitch Kupchak. That was the last time the Lakers saw a major restructuring in the front office, and it was back when Jeanie Buss was still the majority owner.
Today, while Mark Walter has the final say, Buss is still calling the shots as the active governor/President of the team. She has stood by Pelinka ever since hiring him, and it’s likely her influence that is keeping his role intact. The problem is, many Lakers fans want to see something new after having only one championship since 2011.
While Pelinka is highly respected in league circles, the results under his tenure just haven’t been there compared to previous Lakers eras. He broke up that 2020 title team and then made a move for Russell Westbrook that later proved to be a mistake. Still, it was Pelinka who negotiated the secret trade for Luka Doncic, and that move alone has reset the Lakers’ championship timeline.
Today, while things are far from perfect, the Lakers are in a better position than most teams because of Pelinka. They have Luka Doncic locked in for the foreseeable future, they have LeBron James on an expiring contract, and they have premium roster flexibility, which they can use to build the team however they like this offseason.
Love him or hate him, Rob Pelinka is going to be a main decision-maker in Los Angeles for years to come, and he likely already has a plan for the future. With Luka in tow, the task now is to find a suitable co-star while building the supporting cast enough to compete with the best teams in the league. It won’t be easy, but the new Lakers owner is pulling all the stops to ensure the best chance of success.
