LA plan for Rob Pelinka amid new ownership, president of business operations
The Los Angeles Lakers made a change in management earlier this season, with longtime franchise owner Jeanie Buss deciding to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter, who is now making some changes to the team’s confidence. In recent days, CEO Lon Rosen announced this to the Lakers would be the new president of the business team.
Rosen was the executive vice president and director of marketing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Walter called him to assume the role of president of the Lakers. With the connections he made during his time with the Dodgers, Rosen will enlist the help of Dodgers executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, a combo that led operations for LA during their back-to-back World Series title seasons.
What this means for the Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka is that he would work closely with those two, work with them on staffing issues. According to Dan Woike of the Athletic, Pelinka “it will continue to handle basketball operations” while working within an “expanded front office.”
The next few years will be crucial for the Lakers; they have to completely start building around Luka Dončić, which would take a year or two to complete.
The Lakers front office is gearing up for a crucial next season
The Lakers’ trade for Doncic is one they would make 10 times out of 10, but the roster they built was geared toward maximizing a core led by James and Anthony Davis. They lack so much defense infrastructure that it would take them a year or two before they emerge as a legitimate contender in the West.
The team was preparing for the 2027 free agency period, when players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic could hit free agency. It is not entirely clear whether Pelinka would still be with the Lakers by then, but it is clear what the intention is from their front office.
2026-02-25 08:20:00
