The Lakers are still in the middle of a major organizational shakeup, and the latest move comes in the front office. Los Angeles has hired Miami Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler as an assistant general manager under Rob Pelinka, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Amsler spent more than 22 years with the Heat, beginning there as an intern before climbing through the scouting and personnel ranks. His arrival gives the Lakers another addition to the front-office group after they brought in Rohan Ramadas as assistant general manager in May.
That earlier hire made it clear another move was likely coming, and the Lakers have now filled that spot with Amsler. The timing also comes as the franchise works through uncertainty surrounding its ownership structure and leadership direction.
Recently, Charles Gasparino of The New York Post reported that Josh Kushner, not Bob Iger as many had assumed, would be the controlling owner of the Lakers once the sale is finalized. That only added to the confusion around who will be running the team and how the new regime will operate.
For now, Lon Rosen remains in place after replacing Tim Harris as president of business operations, which at least settles one part of the picture in the short term. But elsewhere, things are still very much in flux.
Jeanie Buss is in the middle of a legal battle with the rest of the Buss family over the sale of their remaining 17.8 percent stake in the team. If that sale goes through, she would no longer be able to serve as Lakers governor, a role she has held for 13 years.
Between the ownership situation and the front-office changes, the Lakers are still sorting through a lot at once. And with more moving pieces still on the table, this restructuring may not be done yet.
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