Rob Pelinka is taking heat again, and this time the criticism came with a familiar edge: one of LeBron James’ friends publicly branded the Lakers executive a snake after Los Angeles landed Walker Kessler at center.
The comment came from X user Cuffs The Legend, who blasted Pelinka for finally getting aggressive about adding a big man only after both Anthony Davis and James were out the door.
“Anthony Davis practically begged Rob Pelinka to get him a CENTER alongside him for YEARS… Rob didn’t budge.
“AD got back doored.. Bron lowkey got back doored.. and NOW he wanna be a competent GM now that the duo that won you a championship is gone.. you can’t make this s*** up LOL 🐍.”
That snake emoji was doing plenty of work there, and Davis seemed to notice. Even though he’s not active on X, the 33-year-old responded to the post with five laughing emojis.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
- Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) July 1, 2026
Davis, now with the Washington Wizards, has barely posted on the platform since the start of February. Both of those posts were promotional, so his reaction to this one stood out. It also lined up with a long-running complaint from Davis, who had repeatedly said the Lakers needed to trade for a center so he could slide into the power forward role.
The frustration makes sense when you look back at what had worked before. In 2019-20, the Lakers paired Davis with Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, and that two-center setup was a big reason the team rolled to a title.
The blueprint was right there. Pelinka just never repeated it for Davis.
Now the script has flipped. When Luka Doncic wanted a center, Pelinka moved and brought in Kessler.
Davis’ own exit from Los Angeles clearly left a mark too. He signed a three-year, $175 million extension in 2023, but he was dealt before that deal even kicked in.
In February 2025, the Lakers sent Davis, Max Christie, and their 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in the trade for Doncic. The move caught Davis off guard, with Pelinka and then-Mavericks GM having negotiated in secret.
As for James, his situation is different. Rich Paul has said the Lakers wanted him back, but James chose to leave, so it’s harder to say he was backdoored in the same way.
He’s free to pick his next stop now, and the Golden State Warriors are among the teams linked to him. There’s also reporting that the Warriors would look into a move for Davis if the 41-year-old commits to them. A James-Davis reunion would certainly be a storyline, and the next move in all of this will be worth watching.
In Other News...
Anthony Davis Just Reopened A Frustrating Lakers Debate Around Rob Pelinka
Anthony Davis' old frustration with the Lakers has been dragged back into the spotlight, and it has brought Rob Pelinkas center decisions with it. The debate dates to Daviss time in Los Angeles, when he made clear he preferred playing power forward and wanted another big next to him, a need the front office never really answered during his run with the team.
Now the conversation has flared again after the Lakers finally moved to add Walker Kessler, a deal that has prompted renewed criticism of Pelinka for waiting so long to address the position. Davis is with the Washington Wizards now, though his future there remains unsettled, and his own response to the resurfaced chatter said plenty without needing many words. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen A. Smith Just Took A Loaded Shot At The Lakers
The Lakers have spent the offseason reshaping their roster around a different kind of core, re-signing Austin Reaves and adding Walker Kessler to a group they believe can keep them competitive in a crowded West. With LeBron James no longer in the mix, the franchise is leaning into a younger, unfamiliar look that has drawn attention for reasons beyond basketball, especially because the new top end of the roster does not fit the mold most fans associate with recent title teams.
Stephen A. Smith turned that conversation into a national talking point this week, questioning whether Los Angeles can really contend with a lineup built this way and pointing to NBA history as part of his case. The reaction has been predictably heated, with some seeing a fair basketball debate and others calling it an unnecessary shot, but the larger question hanging over the Lakers is whether the roster can answer the criticism on the floor before it turns into a louder story. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Move On Quickly From Young Guard As Roster Churn Continues
The Lakers offseason has been moving on multiple tracks, and one of the more important is simply figuring out how much flexibility is left after the roster has already started to churn around the edges. While other teams around the league keep making calls on free agents and trade targets, Los Angeles has been tied to younger options such as Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili, the kind of moves that can shape the rest of the market and determine what the team can still offer elsewhere.
Around the league, the dominoes are falling fast enough to affect everyone, including the Lakers competition for depth and the bigger names still in play. Indiana has checked on several wing options while also seeing Thomas Bryant head elsewhere after strong interest in bringing him back, and Chicago has already moved on from guard Kam Jones before his deal became guaranteed, another reminder of how quickly roster spots are being cleared and reassigned this summer. [Read more 🡒]