Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few hours, you probably know about the Los Angeles Lakers being sold for $12.5 billion to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. In case this really is your first time hearing about it, welcome to the chaos.
Mark Walter barely got a chance to put his fingerprints on the Lakers before flipping the team to Kushner and Iger. Walter was approved as majority owner back in late October. It has been less than nine months and the team is switching hands again.
Among the biggest questions of what this all means for the Lakers franchise is where it leaves Rob Pelinka. The general manager just had a pivotal offseason retooling the team around Luka Doncic, and has been in that role dating back to 2017.
Does a new group of owners suddenly heat up an already hot seat even more? Or, does another round of changes oddly buy him more time to be evaluated in his current duties? There is a case to be made for both sides.
The case for why Rob Pelinka's job is under more pressure
New ownership groups can often come with major changes. Don't believe me? Ask the Dallas Mavericks or the Boston Celtics, who have both undergone significant overhaul since changing stewardship.
A new ownership group will typically want to leave their mark on a franchise. For the front office, that often means installing decision-makers they believe in. That is where Pelinka could feel the pressure.
The current team president is a Jeanie Buss guy. His continued promotion up the ranks within the organization has largely been tied to her presence. If Kushner and Iger intend to make an immediate impact, and put their own people in key decision-making roles, that could involve sacking Pelinka for someone they have more faith in.
A key part in this may be whether Buss sticks around in her own role of team governor. That was the agreement with the Walter regime, but it remains unclear whether that will still be the case with Kushner and Iger. If not, both major figureheads could find themselves gone as changes are enacted.
The case for why Rob Pelinka's job might actually be safer now
On the other hand, the Lakers franchise is about to navigate its second ownership change in such a short time span. A sense of stability may be desired among such treacherous waters. That is where Buss and Pelinka come in.
Perhaps the pair stick around to give the Lakers a feeling of familiarity as the franchise undergoes yet another transitional state. There is certainly sound logic to that. If the new owners intend to honor Buss' agreement with Walter, that should secure Pelinka in place, too.
Furthermore, while Walter may have gotten the opportunity to make early evaluations on the front office executive, Kushner and Iger have not. That may buy him time to prove himself to the incoming majority owners (again).
Pelinka was the architect of this Doncic retool. It would be odd timing to rip him out of that role at this exact moment, given these early stages. That could mean the Lakers general manager continues to do business while under close evaluation, but it does ensure him some staying power in Los Angeles.
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