The Los Angeles Lakers hired Rob Pelinka to be the GM of the franchise in 2017. He was hired by the Buss family, which is why his job security could be waning. With the sale of the franchise to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, he could end up being on the outside looking in.
Pelinka has had a very polarizing tenure in Los Angeles. He was named the Executive of the Year in 2020, the same year the Lakers won the title. He also has been involved in some wild trades. In fact, Bleacher Report believes he has been involved in two of the five worst trades this decade.
Lakers Part of Two of the Five Worst Trades of the 2020s
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes that the Lakers were involved in two of the worst trades this decade. One of them was the Russell Westbrook trade. That took place in 2021 and saw Los Angeles trade Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 pick in the 2021 draft.
Westbrook never meshed with the starting lineup and was shipped out of town less than two years later. The Lakers actually had a better net rating with him on the bench, which makes the trade tough to justify. His lack of outside shooting hurt the offense more than they realized.
However, Hughes also believes that the Lakers were on the good side of the worst trade this decade. That is the Luka Doncic trade, which could be the most shocking trade in NBA history. Only having to trade Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick for Doncic is a massive coup.
Doncic is now the focal point of the franchise. Meanwhile, Davis has already been traded somewhere else and continues to be one of the most injured superstars in the league. That is Pelinka’s greatest move as an executive, and the move that could save his job.
Rob Pelinka’s Future in Los Angeles Remains Uncertain
Despite being able to land Doncic in that trade, Pelinka’s future in Los Angeles is murky. With new ownership coming in, and Buss likely forced out, he is on shaky footing. That could be especially true if the Lakers struggle early in the year.
Pelinka decided to remake the entire roster heading into next season. He let LeBron James walk in free agency, and changed the entire rotation. If Los Angeles isn’t able to be in the top six before the trade deadline, Pelinka could be in trouble if the sale of the franchise goes through by then.
However, it’s likely that Pelinka is able to last all of next season. Once the offseason for the 2027-28 season rolls around, Pelinka will have to be nervous. Improving on the 11th-worst defense that the Lakers had a year ago will go a long way to saving his job.
Lakers Involved in Two of the Five Worst NBA Trades This Decade