UCLA’s men’s basketball front office is getting a noticeable boost, and the biggest move is a promotion for one of the people who helped shape the Bruins’ offseason.
Max Feldman has been elevated from assistant general manager to general manager, UCLA announced Wednesday. The Bruins are also bringing in Peyton Mortellite and Trey Doty in player development and front office roles.
Feldman played a central role in UCLA’s transfer portal work this offseason. He helped the Bruins land Jaylen Petty from Texas Tech, Azavier Robinson from Butler, Sergej Macura from Mississippi State and Filip Jovic from Auburn. According to the release, Feldman spent the year scouting transfer targets and served as a key point of contact during official visits throughout each player’s recruitment.
His influence extended beyond the portal, too. Feldman also helped UCLA sign two foreign prospects for next year in Nikola Kusturica from FC Barcelona and Gunars Grinvalds from Real Madrid. On top of that, UCLA brought back every player who had eligibility to return from last season’s roster under Cronin and Feldman’s leadership.
Mortellite arrives after most recently working in a coaching associate role with the Los Angeles Lakers. UCLA said he will be the program’s Director of Player Development and Recruiting.
Doty, meanwhile, is staying in Westwood and moving into a larger role. A former UCLA student manager and graduate assistant, he will serve as Director of Scouting and Strategy.
This will be his sixth year with the Bruins. He spent his first four seasons as a student manager and earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA in the spring of 2025.
Mick Cronin said the changes fit the way college basketball now operates.
"College basketball continues to witness an ever-evolving landscape, and it's vital for us to have someone as talented and well-connected as Max to help oversee our roster management and player retention efforts," Cronin said. "Max continues to impress our coaching staff with his knowledge of players, talent identification, and relationships in general across our industry.
We're just as fortunate to add Peyton and Trey to our staff. Obviously, we have a lot of familiarity with Trey, as he's a former student manager.
Trey is a really hard worker and has a talented future ahead of him. We're really excited to keep him in Westwood.
Peyton has valuable experience up north at Washington and with the Lakers. It's important for us to keep evolving in all strategic avenues of roster management and the transfer portal, and these additions help to accomplish those goals.
I'm grateful to have these hard-working men on our staff, and we are excited about the upcoming season."
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UCLAs recruiting momentum has started to look like something more than a hot stretch. The Bruins 2027 class is sitting inside the top 20 in the 247Sports Composite, their first such showing since 2018, and the mix of commitments suggests a staff trying to build both talent and balance. There are blue-chip pieces at the top, depth throughout, and a noticeable local imprint, with California prospects making up a large share of the haul.
For Bob Chesney, it is also an early sign that his first full recruiting cycle in Westwood can translate into roster construction on multiple fronts. UCLA has paired that high school surge with a transfer class that has also drawn national notice, giving the program a broader base as it tries to climb back into the conversation. The next question is whether the Bruins can keep the class together long enough to turn the buzz into something even more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
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UCLAs offseason has been defined by a reset after a 3-9 finish under DeShaun Foster, with the Bruins reworking the roster and trying to give the program a cleaner foundation heading into another new era. The changes have been especially noticeable up front, where the staff has focused on strengthening both lines and bringing in enough new faces to change the feel of the team before camp even opens.
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