The fairytale with Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers seems over. He's reportedly got the front office's support but all signs point towards a rift with LeBron James' camp, and we know how that usually pans out.
James made several passive-aggressive comments during the All-Star break. He laued rival executives and went as far as to say that he'd join any other team as long as they draft his oldest son, Bronny.
Add a poorly-constructed roster to the mix and Pelinka could be as good as gone by the season's end. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers have already set their sights on a replacement from LeBron's camp.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Target Omar Wilkes As Rob Pelinka's Replacement
(Transcript via Bleacher Report)
"There has been growing speculation about one name to replace Pelinka as Lakers general manager: Omar Wilkes, the current head of basketball operations for Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports. Wilkes has been described as somewhat of a compromise between that ironclad Lakers family and Klutch’s operation. His father, Jamaal Wilkes, played eight seasons with the franchise and won three championships alongside Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jordan Wilkes, Omar’s younger brother, spent six years in the Lakers’ front office before joining the Hornets as a scout in 2019.
Omar Wilkes, head of basketball at Klutch Sports, was rumored to be a potential candidate for a lead Lakers executive role, but those rumors appear to be unfounded. However, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation strongly denied Wilkes’ candidacy to replace Pelinka, citing his hands-on role within Klutch’s collegiate recruiting efforts. To be clear, the Lakers have not contacted him for any position."
There were some rumors about James forcing his way out of the team in the summer. That seems quite unlikely, but he's clearly disgruntled with the organization right now, and hiring Wilkes might as well be enough to make him happy again.
