The Los Angeles Lakers will likely undergo a lot of changes after the planned ownership change. Fans have questions about the future of the franchise and how it impacts personnel in their current roles. Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka is a noteworthy name who could be on the way out of a job. The new ownership will have to decide if they believe Pelinka is the right person for the role of making the NBA front office decisions.
Pete Zayas revealed the following on the Lakers Collective show:
“Having talked to some folks, my understanding is that Pelinka and company are excited about this, and they think that it’s a good thing this has gone the way that it has. I do think he’s less safe than he was, but I don’t think we should underestimate his ability to survive and ingratiate himself.
Whether it was Kobe or Jeanie, the people who he worked for all swore by him in ways that didn’t always resonate with the fans. But at Iger’s age, I think he’s gonna want to hit the ground running as much as possible, and that’s gonna be with his people. So, Pelinka’s gonna have to make himself one of Iger’s people very quickly.”
Two interesting notes from this quote see both what Pelinka believes and what the reporter expects to happen. Pelinka and other front office members believe they can benefit from the new owners in an era led by Luka Doncic. However, Zayas made it clear that Pelinka must build connections fast or that he could lose his job.
Why Lakers Could Fire Rob Pelinka
This offseason was a huge one for the future of the Lakers franchise with Pelinka making polarizing decisions. Losing LeBron James and a handful of other rotation players has many questioning if the Lakers can truly win next season.
Walker Kessler was acquired via the hefty price of a big contract and sending two draft picks to the Utah Jazz. Pelinka could easily look terrible if this move backfires since Kessler’s health is a big question and he’s now expected to be a top three player on a contender.
A bad season in general could be enough for the new ownership of Josh Kushner and Bob Iger to change course. The history of Iger has seen him making changes when taking over companies. Pelinka could easily be replaced by someone Iger trusts more.
Reasons For Rob Pelinka’s Current Confidence
The report making it certain that Pelinka remains confident in his role provides more questions over why. One NBA Championship in the Pelinka era came thanks to his involvement getting Anthony Davis to team with James.
While that should provide more job security, this was seven seasons ago and could see things changing faster. Pelinka’s confidence likely also comes from having faith in the new roster led by Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Kessler.
Controversial moves have been made, but the General Manager believes in his team to succeed. Pelinka is banking on a good season and more progress building for the future. Time will tell if new ownership has that confidence as the season goes on.
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