Things arenāt going well in Los Angeles right now. The Lakers have failed to live up to the hype and LeBron Jamesā passive-aggressive swipes of Rob Pelinka have done little to help solve the issues.
The Lakers look like a poorly-coached team and their revamped roster failed to mesh together. Even so, the front office has shown its support for Frank Vogel and Pelinka didnāt strike any deals before the deadline.
As it usually happens when things go south on a good team, some speculate that Pelinka could be on the hot seat. However, and even despite an alleged rift with LeBron and his camp, the Lakers still have Pelinkaās back.
NBA News: Rob Pelinka Has āUnwavering Supportā Of The Los Angeles Lakers
āPelinka has the unwavering support of Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and is firmly entrenched as a pillar of the clubās four-pronged brain trust alongside Buss and the power couple of Kurt and Linda Rambis,ā Stein reported.
āThe Lakers will be able to trade multiple future first-round picks in the summer, after they were limited to featuring a 2027 first-rounder in their recent trade offers. The problem: They still lack players other teams covet to package with those picks,ā Stein added.āJames can seethe about the Lakersā fruitless deadline all he wants, but it doesnāt make Pelinkaās hand any stronger.ā
āThis is an organization that has cut ties completely with Lakers icon Jerry West, who has a legit claim to Greatest Laker Ever status when you combine his playing achievements with his front-office work,ā the report added. āJames and agent Rich Paul, for all the perceived control they wield, are still outsiders when it comes to the Lakersā power dynamics. If West can be cut off, rest assured LeBron can, too, if he can no longer lift the Lakers out of mediocrity.ā
This wouldnāt be the first time that James and a GM arenāt on the same page. If anything, thatās been the story with him throughout his entire career. So, weāll have to wait and see which side Jeanie Buss will be on when itās all said and done.
