The Lakers’ ownership shift has thrown a wrench into what Rob Pelinka had in mind for the front office.
With Josh Kushner and Bob Iger purchasing the franchise for $12.5 billion - a record-breaking figure - the organization is moving into a new era, and Pelinka’s role could be part of that broader change before the 2026-27 season. Jeanie Buss, meanwhile, tried to stop her siblings from completing the sale, a reminder that this team has remained in the Buss family for more than 40 years, even after Jerry Buss died in 2013.
For now, the Lakers are still working through interviews for several jobs, according to The Athletic’s Dan Wolke. A video producer posting went up on Teamwork Online two weeks ago, but the bigger-picture hires are not moving with the same urgency.
“The Lakers are still conducting interviews for multiple positions, sources say. A job posting for a video producer was posted to the sports-industry job site, Teamwork Online, two weeks ago,” Wolke reported. “But other sources, including high-ranking ones, have acknowledged that high-end positions, particularly in basketball operations, aren’t actively being filled.
“While some people in the organization push back on the notion that the Lakers are in a “hiring freeze,” multiple sources acknowledged that it would be foolish for the organization to make hires of consequence while in this strange moment of its history.”
That uncertainty could directly affect one of Pelinka’s offseason goals. Wolke noted that the assistant general manager spot Pelinka said the Lakers intended to fill this summer may now be in limbo.
“That likely includes the assistant general manager position Rob Pelinka said the Lakers planned on hiring this offseason to handle personnel and scouting,” Wolke added. “The team hired Rohan Ramades as its assistant general manager of strategy and data systems at the end of the season, and he’s made positive early impressions.
“It also offered the other assistant general manager job to Minnesota’s Steve Senior and Philadelphia’s Prosper Karangwa, but both executives elected to remain with their teams. Conversations about a front-office build-out are ongoing, one source said, but it’s not fully clear how or when the lead of much-needed pro scouting staff will be installed,” Wolke concluded.
So while the Lakers have already made one front-office addition in Rohan Ramades, the bigger build-out Pelinka wanted hasn’t come together yet. With the sale now setting the tone, the franchise’s chain of command is still taking shape.
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For the Lakers, the appeal is obvious: Lopez would bring a different look to the frontcourt and give Doncic another dependable option in the half court. For the Clippers, though, the decision would be riskier, since moving a veteran center with that skill set is never just about the return package, it is also about what gets left behind in the middle of the rotation and whether the front office is comfortable reshaping that position again. [Read more 🡒]