Rob Pelinka Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Finalizing Deal To Hire Rob Pelinka As GM

February 21st, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Austin Kent

The Lakers are finalizing a multiyear deal that will see Rob Pelinka assume the role of general manger, says Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. With the February 23 trade deadline less than 48 hours away, the player agent will necessarily “start soon.”

Citing a need for an individual with a comprehensive understanding of the CBA, salary cap and modern NBA, newly hired president of basketball operations Magic Johnson made the decision to bring Pelinka aboard to fill the vacancy opened up when Mitch Kupchak was relieved of his duties earlier today.

While Pelinka is expected to handle day-to-day matters for the Lakers, Johnson figures to retain the final say on roster moves and other major decisions.

As we discussed in a post earlier today when Pelinka was being floated as the frontrunner for the job, the long-time agent will need to divest himself from the representation business. While Pelinka represents many current NBA players, including MVP candidate James Harden, his most notable client in relation to his new role is former Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant. Such familiarity with the Lakers enterprise will suit Pelinka well in his new role, tweets Wojnarowski.

Pelinka has no previous front office experience but that didn’t dissuade Johnson from making the decision. Per Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, Johnson referenced the recent success of Bob Myers and the Warriors when asked if such a dearth of experience could be an issue.

Agent Rob Pelinka Frontrunner For Lakers’ GM Job

February 21st, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

With general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive VP of basketball operations Jim Buss having been relieved of their duties in the Lakers’ front office, new president of basketball operations Magic Johnson will call the shots in L.A. However, the club remains on the lookout for a new GM, and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical and Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter links), longtime player agent Rob Pelinka has emerged as a frontrunner for the position.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne first reported (via Twitter) that Pelinka, who represents Kobe Bryant and many current NBA players, was on the Lakers’ radar for a front office role. If the team decides to hire Pelinka, he would have to divest himself of his representation business, which would take some time, as Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter).

Several other rumors are swirling as the Lakers’ front office undergoes major changes, so let’s round them up…

Assuming the Lakers haven’t already decided on Pelinka, there are a number of other potential candidates believed to be on their radar, per Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links). According to Amick, Blazers GM Neil Olshey, former Cavs GM Chris Grant, Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, and Pacers VP of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie are worth keeping an eye on.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that another veteran player agent – Arn Tellem – is also said to be a potential target for the Lakers. However, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News tweets, Tellem – who formerly represented Kobe Bryant – has been very involved in the Pistons‘ move to downtown Detroit and seems unlikely to bolt in the middle of that project.
Magic Johnson has previously talked about wanting Bryant to have a role in the Lakers’ front office. Shelburne tweets that the future Hall-of-Famer is “happy doing what he’s doing,” but would be available to the organization if needed.
Jerry West hasn’t been approached by the Lakers about a role in the team’s front office, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. According to Ding (via Twitter), West won’t be a part of the club’s new management group.
According to Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News (Twitter links), one reason the Warriors were motivated to give GM Bob Myers a promotion and a raise last summer was to avoid making him a target for the Lakers.