The Los Angeles Lakers' season didn't end as they hoped it would after securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota was the underdog and wanted it more than LA. The series loss highlighted the Lakers' weaknesses, outlining the team's offseason priority list.
Los Angeles received one of the biggest assists in NBA history from a conference rival when Dallas agreed to trade Luka Doncic to Hollywood. It ended the speculation about how the Lakers would approach the post-LeBron era. There wasn't a better gift that could've landed in Rob Pelinka's lap.
Pelinka was given a multi-year contract extension in mid-April. He was also promoted to president of basketball operations along with his general manager title. Between hiring JJ Redick as the new head coach and trading for Luka, Jeanie Buss felt it was appropriate to reward Pelinka.
Lakers fans should feel confident entering the offseason under Pelinka's decision-making, right? One would think, but that isn't the case. His track record over the past few offseasons doesn't instill confidence in the fan base. There are roster holes LA needs to address to reach the NBA Finals next year for the first time since 2020, and the weight of those decisions falls on Pelinka.
Lakers' Rob Pelinka needs to have a strong offseason
Pelinka has made several questionable decisions in the past few years, from letting Alex Caruso walk in free agency to signing Gabe Vincent to a three-year deal. It's not like his track record is full of bad moves -- Pelinka was the force behind the Anthony Davis trade -- but he can't afford to have any slip-ups this summer.
Luka asked for a lob threat after he was traded to the Lakers, and Pelinka traded for Mark Williams in a deal that LA ended up voiding. Getting a center should be at the top of Pelinka's list, as everyone saw how it hurt the Lakers in the playoffs.
Pelinka no longer needs to worry about whether he'll sign an extension, but he does need to worry about keeping Luka and LeBron happy. LeBron was willing to take a pay cut last offseason to help the Lakers land a big-name in free agency, but that never happened. Pelinka said last Thursday that he knows LeBron will have "high expectations" for next season's roster and will do everything to meet them. LeBron has heard that before, though.
It's on Pelinka to upgrade the roster and put LA in the best position to win another title with LeBron before he retires. He needs to let his actions do the talking.