Lakers Take Aim at Fixing Major ‘Organizational Failing’

The Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to make it very plain through media leaks and other reporting that the team is sticking with Rob Pelinka as the team’s general manager, even as Mark Walter–owner of the MLB champion Dodgers–seeks to restructure the front office in the wake of the sale by former owner Jeanie Buss.

In a way, the Lakers protest too much. The public show of support has raised eyebrows across the NBA, where there has been speculation that Pelinka could be in trouble if the Lakers’ 2025-26 ship keeps sinking. And while it is true that Pelinka remains in the employ of the Lakers, there’s no doubt that the changes being made around him will surely marginalize a front-office structure that for too long was set up along the lines of a mom-and-pop shop.

The Lakers have announced several changes to the team’s decision-makers already, and the first goal appears to be to make up for one of the worst failings of the Lakers under Pelinka: The inability to draft and develop young talent.

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Lakers Draft History Has Been Rough

The Lakers have a brutal draft history under Pelinka, and it is not clear whether that’s a failure of the drafting process or the development process, or some combination of both. The team has done well to bring along undrafted find Austin Reaves, but for the most part, the Lakers missed badly on the likes of Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in 2024, and Jalen Hood-Schifino, also No. 17 in 2023.

Max Christie was a successful second-round pick in 2022, and the jury is still out on Bronny James, though his development does not necessarily come from the Lakers.

“For a team with their resources, as much as they are worth, they are way behind a lot of other teams just in the basics of, knowing their players, knowing strengths and weaknesses, knowing a kid when you go in for a workout,” one prominent agent said. “A lot of teams, you walk in with a player and they’ve got files of information on the player. You don’t get that from the Lakers. It’s an organizational failing.”

The agent compared L.A. to the way the Lakers’ hated rival, the Celtics, have developed their own players or plucked young players from other teams and turned them into useful NBA contributors–Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, Payton Pritchard.

“Luke Kornet was almost out of the league before they got hold of him,” the agent said. “The Lakers don’t have those kinds of stories.”

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Dodgers Development Would Be Welcome

But that is the first thing that is up for a change under the new Lakers structure, and the aim appears to be to have it in place before the draft process begins in two months.

Having the backing of the Dodgers–one of the best teams in all of sports at identifying and developing talent–can only help. With four levels of minor-leaguers and a 20-round draft, there are significant differences between MLB and the NBA, but the Lakers struggled with a two-round draft and do not do enough to take advantage of their one minor-league team.

It’s not easy for the Lakers to pick stars, not when they’re rarely picking at the top of the draft. But the team does little to even develop its own role players, usually leaning on free agency to add aging veterans. It’s a very inefficient way to build.

The hope is that new “advisor” hire Tony Bennett, the former Virginia coach who abruptly retired in 2024, can help the Lakers find and develop their own young players. It’s been a major missing link for the Lakers in recent years.

 

 

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney