The Los Angeles Lakers are casting a wide net in their search for front office reinforcements this offseason.
A broader organizational restructuring is underway under new owner Mark Walter, with one of the primary focuses being to add support around current general manager Rob Pelinka.
The Lakers have already brought in former Virginia head coach Tony Bennett as a draft advisor, with Pelinka describing him as an “invaluable addition to [the franchise’s] draft and scouting processes.”
Lakers Targeting Multiple Front Office Candidates
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Lakers have expressed interest in several candidates for their front office openings.
Scotto listed Minnesota Timberwolves assistant general manager Steve Senior and Philadelphia 76ers assistant general manager Prosper Karangwa among the targets.
Miami Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler and Utah Jazz vice president of player personnel Bart Taylor have also reportedly made the shortlist.
While additional candidates remain in consideration, Scotto reported that Senior has already declined the Lakers’ offer in order to remain in Minnesota, while Karangwa is drawing interest from multiple teams.
“Senior passed on an offer from the Lakers and decided to remain with the Timberwolves,” Scotto wrote. “With the 76ers and Daryl Morey parting ways, Karangwa has received interest from the Lakers and Mavericks, HoopsHype has learned. Amsler has been with the Heat for 22 years, including winning three NBA championships in seven appearances.”
“Taylor was previously the G League Executive of the Year with Utah’s Salt Lake City Stars.”
During his end-of-season press conference, Pelinka revealed that the organization plans to hire two assistant general managers as part of the front office shakeup.
One role will focus heavily on draft scouting and player development, while the other will center around strategy, salary cap management, analytics, and data.
“It’s not that we’ve had holes in those places,” Pelinka said. “We have a great team of people that works incredible hard. It’s just we want to add more to that.”
“For both those [assistant general manager] positions, we have started a wide search and have begun interviews but haven’t hired out either of those.”
LA Expected to Place Increased Focus on Player Development
Under the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement rules, building a contender through free agency and blockbuster trades has become significantly more difficult.
Pelinka acknowledged that reality during his end-of-season press conference and stressed the importance of player development moving forward.
“I think in this salary cap system, player development is going to be a huge thing to lean into for success ultimately,” Pelinka said, via Lakers Nation. “We’ve seen that. I think you could look at veteran players that have come here and developed.”
“I’ll use Rui as an example. When we traded for him, and who he is now, he’s a different player. That’s a testament to JJ’s player development staff.”
“I think we have Adou Thiero as another example. Had some bumps with his health this year but once he got healthy, JJ trusted him enough to put him in a playoff series, and got some big rebounds and made some big plays.”
Pelinka emphasized that the franchise must continue identifying young talent and developing players internally.
The NBA Draft could therefore become an increasingly important tool for Los Angeles as the organization attempts to improve the roster while maintaining long-term financial flexibility.
The Lakers currently own their 2026 first-round pick and are projected to select 25th overall in the upcoming draft.
Several intriguing wing and frontcourt prospects have already been linked to Los Angeles in recent mock drafts, suggesting the Lakers could still add a legitimate two-way contributor if they ultimately decide to keep the selection instead of packaging it in a larger trade.
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