Fellow NBA execs reveal the ugly truth about Lakers GM Rob Pelinka

The Los Angeles Lakers won a championship just three years after hiring Rob Pelinka, who was able to bring in both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, Pelinka’s moves over the last two years have been put under the microscope as he has built two underwhelming rosters after winning the title.

Pelinka made the worst decision of his GM career thus far in the offseason when he succumbed to superstar pressure and traded for Russell Westbrook. Most, if not all, of the team’s problems this offseason are a result of the Westbrook trade and having to pay him $44 million.

Fans are already growing upset with Pelinka and the rest of the front office and recent comments from other NBA executives might be enough to push fans over the edge. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report quoted several executive sources in his latest piece, all of which are quite damning for Pelinka as a GM.

The ugly truth about Lakers GM Rob Pelinka:

The first disheartening truth is about how Pelinka operated at the NBA trade deadline. Many fans were upset when the Lakers did not make a move to reinforce the team at the deadline. While it was ultimately a good thing that the Lakers did not make another desperate trade, such as flipping Westbrook and a pick for John Wall, the way Pelinka reportedly went about the deadline is disheartening.

Per Fischer:

"“”He wasn’t returning some teams calls at [this year’s] deadline,” one general manager told B/R. “"

Yup, you read that right. Rob Pelinka, in the midst of the most important time of the season to add talent to reinforce the team, did not even do the diligence of returning calls to other GMs. Is it just me, or does this give off vibes of laziness by the Lakers front office?

Some may point out that Pelinka simply didn’t respond to the offers that were not worth any entertaining, which is a fair point. However, there is a certain rapport that an executive has to have with his colleagues. After all, while they are working against each other to build a contender, oftentimes executives have to work together to get deals done.

Pelinka seems like an outcast among other league executives, which is the absolute worst thing that he can be. He does not seem to treat his peers with much respect, which is only going to hurt the team he is working for in the process. Thie behavior does not seem to be new for Pelinka.

*Quote edited to remove profanity.*

"“”He was an a–hole as an agent,” said another assistant general manager. “He had the most powerful players and if he wanted the player moved, he would’ve eviscerated you as a staff to get whatever he wanted. You can’t do that to people, and then expect them to work with you  when you join their side.””"

That is a problem, ladies and gentlemen. There is a difference between being a hard-ball negotiator and simply being an unpleasant person to work with. Based on these quotes, Pelinka seems like an unpleasant person to work with, which is only going to make it less likely that the team is going to execute deals in the future.

Why would a team take on Russell Westbrook in a salary dump trade (which Westbrook also has an interest in) if Pelinka is being brash, unapologetic, and has potentially crossed a GM in the past when he was an agent? That team would be doing the Lakers a favor, not the other way around, and Pelinka’s standing amongst his peers does not make that any likelier.

Shoot, maybe LeBron James is right for reportedly wanting to replace Pelinka with a different general manager.