It’s been quite a turnaround for the Lakers after last year’s season-long debacle that dumped a bucket of ice water on LeBron James’ arrival in Los Angeles. Much has changed since that disappointing campaign, which saw the Lakers miss the playoffs once again and unable to execute the Anthony Davis trade on which they had pinned their future.
There were major leadership changes on both sides, most notably Magic Johnson’s abrupt departure toward the end of last season and his subsequent claims of inter-organizational discord and disloyalty between himself and GM Rob Pelinka. Regardless, with Johnson out of the picture, the Lakers were able to finalize the trade in the offseason for Anthony Davis and put together a roster that made a little more sense.
Now, with the Lakers off to their best start in recent memory, Pelinka is reaping the rewards. On Friday, news broke that the team was not only signing him to a contract extension, but that he was also promoted to vice president of basketball operations. Further details about the length and value of the extension remain unclear so far.
Via Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
Los Angeles Lakers VP of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka has agreed to a multiyear contract extension, league sources tell ESPN.
The Lakers announced Friday that they had promoted Pelinka to the VP title, and sources say that included the negotiation of an extension onto the original five-year deal that Pelinka signed in 2017.
Pelinka, who was previously a player agent, most notably to retired Laker Kobe Bryant, is being compensated in no small measure for landing both LeBron James and Davis during his tenure and for the most recent offseason moves that have spurred the team’s success in the first half of the season.
At 30-7, the Lakers sit atop the Western Conference standings. They’ve won six straight now after a brief rough patch and look to keep it rolling when they face the Mavs on Friday night, albeit without Anthony Davis in the lineup after he suffered a contusion on a nasty fall.
(ESPN)
