Rob Pelinka Discusses Lakers Ownership Transition
Lakers president Rob Pelinka says early talks with prospective owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner were positive, as the front office keeps expanding.
Rob Pelinka, president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, has given an update on the club's ownership transition, confirming an early meeting with prospective new controlling owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.
"We had an introduction with Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. Everything was great. Given the nature of the deal process, we're not permitted to discuss details. But the preliminary conversations were very positive. We will continue to support the Lakers at a high level and continue building a world-class front office. I'm proud of the people we've already hired and the energy of the new staff. We're very happy with the coaches, the roster, and the rest of the staff. Big thanks to Jeanie Buss and the ownership for their support. We've significantly expanded our strategy and analytics departments. We've hired two assistant general managers. There's still more work ahead, and we'll keep building out the staff. On the player performance side, we've also expanded our player development and performance departments. We have new equipment and recovery systems, and we're working closely with our coaching staff on that. We hired Eric Amsler, who spent two decades with the Heat, to improve our roster management and scouting. We'll be adding scouts themselves as well. We've seen very serious results over the past two months. The players already feel the difference. And we'll keep building toward a new gold standard," Pelinka said.
The Lakers are going through a second change of controlling ownership in recent years, with the Buss family's stake now moving toward Iger and Kushner. Pelinka's remarks came without any detail on the timeline or structure of the sale, which he said the parties are barred from discussing while the deal process is ongoing.
Behind the ownership talk, Pelinka's comments point to a front office that has grown well beyond the basketball operations desk: two new assistant general managers, expanded analytics and player-development units, and the arrival of Eric Amsler from the Miami Heat to sharpen roster management and scouting. Whether that infrastructure build continues at the same pace may depend on how quickly the ownership change is finalised.
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