Tony Bennett surprisingly joined LA as a special NBA Draft advisor

The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Wednesday that they have hired former Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett will be their new NBA draft advisor. In this new role, Bennett will play a key role alongside the CEO Rob Pelinka in the Lakers’ decisions during and before the draft, helping with player evaluation, scouting and final decisions on who the organization should select.

“We are thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said in a team statement Wednesday. “As we refine and build our scouting processes for the NBA Draft, we couldn’t think of a better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource. Tony’s experience in building a culture, with players of high character, high skill and high IQ, is respected and respected in all basketball circles.”

“Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We’re really excited.”

Bennett, 56, He retired as Virginia’s coach in 2024stunning many around the college basketball atmosphere with his decision. He left after being named national coach of the year three different times and leading Virginia to the 2019 national championship, becoming the fourth former NBA player to win a national championship as a head coach.

As Virginia’s head coach, Bennett went 364-136 (.728), including 189-82 (.697) in ACC play.

“When Rob and I started talking, what came to mind was the chance to help such a well-known organization,” Bennett said. “The Lakers have a tradition that speaks for itself, so it’s exciting to be associated with it and help Rob and the Lakers in any way I can.”

At Virginia, Bennett was known for developing several notable NBA talents over the years, such as Malcolm Brogdon, Joe Harris, De’Andre Hunter, Trey Murphy III, Ryan Dunn, Jay Huff and Ty Jerome.

Tony Bennett has joined the Lakers’ new-look operations department

The addition of Bennett to their basketball operations staff comes about a week after The Lakers signed Lon Rosen, who has served as a key executive for the Los Angeles Dodgers for years, as the organization’s new president of business operations. Rosen was selected by new Lakers owner Mark Walter, who also owns the Dodgers.

In October, Walter completed the $10 billion purchase of the Lakers from Jeanie Bass and her family.

With the Lakers clearly entering a new era led by superstar Luka Doncic, Rosen recently made it clear that Pelinka will stay in your role as the head of the franchise’s front office, according to ESPN.

“I just run the business side, Rob is authorized to do what he does,” Rosen said. “Look, I have a really good relationship with Rob. I know Rob Pelinka from when he represented Kobe (Bryant). I met him many, many years ago.”

Walter’s vision of turning the Lakers into an NBA powerhouse, much like he did with the Dodgers in MLB, seems to be taking shape after the latest additions of Rosen and now Bennett.