The Los Angeles Lakers have just promoted GM Rob Pelinka to VP of Basketball Operations. Here’s why this is great news.
Shams Charania of the Athletic has just reported that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has been promoted to Vice President of Basketball Operations.
The Lakers have promoted Rob Pelinka to Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 10, 2020
In addition, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski along with Ramona Shelbourne have also reported that the team will extend Pelinka’s contract to go along with this new promotion. After signing a five-year contract in 2017.
Lakers extended contract of GM Rob Pelinka to go along with his promotion to VP of Basketball Operations, league sources tell @RamonaShelburne and me.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2020
This should come as great news for Lakers fans, as Pelinka has already shown tremendous success in his first year in sole control of the franchise, after two years of sharing the reigns with former President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson.
Even though the two seemed to get along well in front of the cameras, the end of that relationship was as messy as they come, with Johnson appearing on multiple media outlets and accusing Pelinka of ‘backstabbing’ amongst other things.
However, under Pelinka’s leadership, the franchise is currently in great shape thanks to the moves he has made this past offseason. The team successfully traded for superstar Anthony Davis, signed capable role players that have fit well with their two superstars, and hired Frank Vogel, who has coached the team to the best record in the Western Conference, and top ten in both offense and defense.
Obviously some of the kudos has to be given to the stellar play of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but a championship level team is only as good as the sum of its parts, and Pelinka is the one who brought in players like Danny Green, Dwight Howard, and Avery Bradley, all of whom have been major contributors for this team thus far.
In addition, with the trade deadline coming up, this promotion gives Pelinka an extra level of authority to make any set of moves that he feels is best for the franchise. Whether that’s standing pat, being active on the buyout market or swinging for the fences on a big trade.
With the Lakers being pegged as a legitimate championship contender, it’s only right that the team do right by the man who orchestrated the moves to make this happen.