As little as a week ago, the Los Angeles Lakers were on a collision course to bring back a very similar version of the team they had in 2025-26, a team built around stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, with LeBron James slotting into a supporting role alongside them. James was, as his agent Rich Paul stated, about 80% sure he was going back to L.A., and the Lakers wanted him. The rest would be filled in around that trio, with finding a center being the primary objective. Those appeared to be the contours of Rob Pelinka’s offseason.
Given the fact that the Lakers, when healthy, went 16-2 during a second-half stretch that they felt represented the best version of the team, that was reasonable. But after James gave things a harder think, the threads of this team’s summer began to unravel, and it was up to Pelinka to put things together, and fast.
He did so–but at tremendous cost. The Lakers had a monumental day of transactions on Wednesday, and in doing so, probably either secured or cost Pelinka his job going forward.
Rob Pelinka Lakers Future Cloudy
Pelinka was already on relatively thin ice with the Lakers and the new ownership group under Mark Walter heading into the the summer. Walter had not replaced Pelinka, but instead, he brought in a cadre of new front-office types to beef up what had been a slender operation Lakers headquarters. Pelinka would remain in place but, simultaneously, he would get more replaceable.
The Lakers had an inkling all was not right with James heading into being informed that he was not coming back to L.A. for next season, so wheels were already in motion by Tuesday afternoon to remake the Lakers around Doncic, with the goal of better perimeter shooting and defense, and a defensive-minded big man to protect the paint and finish off lob passes.
Rather than the expected tinkering for the Lakers, they were embarking on an overhaul.
Rob Pelinka Got Bold
Said one Western Conference executive of the Lakers: “Their plan seemed to change a lot over a few days. They had to be proactive once LeBron was uncertain. Give them credit for that. They were proactive. But they had to risk a lot to make all that happen, and all that risk is going to come down on (Pelinka). He’s going to live and die with this thing.”
And what a thing it is. The Lakers big gamble was highlighted by a bold move to execute a sign-and-trade for free-agent center Walker Kessler, who played just five games last year because of a foot injury (and because, cynics will say, the Jazz were tanking.) Not only are the Lakers giving Kessler $130 million over four years, but they gave up two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030).
Kessler has averaged 9.5 points and 9.3 rebounds over his career. He has blocked 2.4 shots in his career. The Lakers are banking on massive growth from Kessler. But it’s not a given. “You see teams give up too much draft capital for a player,” the exec said. “You see teams give up too much money for a player. The Lakers might have done both.”
Lakers Commit $261 Million
The Lakers shelled out more on Wednesday, signing Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million), Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million).
Including Kessler, the Lakers added four players on Wednesday for $261 million, and those four players were starters in 59 of the 228 games they played last season. That’s 25%. Kessler’s injury skews the numbers, but still–the Lakers spent a quarter of a billion dollars on four players who have mostly been reserves in the NBA.
That’s not to say it can’t work. With Doncic and Reaves pulling the offense, the role players do not need to do much. Mamukelashvili could prove to be an effective stretch-4 in the starting lineup. Grimes can defend and make 3s.
But it is a huge risk. And it’s Pelinka on the line.
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