NBA Executives From Around The League Believe Rob Pelinka Is Unqualified To Be Lakers GM And Should Be Fired

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Things aren’t looking good for the Lakers this offseason. After Magic Johnson abruptly decided to resign as Lakers there ESPN Stephen A. Smith reported that Magic quit on the team because owner Jeanie Buss wouldn’t allow him to fire Rob Pelinka.

Via First Take.

“In fairness to Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka, I was told that Magic Johnson walked into there and talked with them, with Jeanie rather, about wanting to get rid of not just Luke Walton, but Rob Pelinka as well, and that’s when Jeanie Buss got her back up. Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka called me last night categorically and emphatically denied that there is any truth to that whatsoever, but whether it’s [Adrian] Wojnarowski, Ramona Shelburne or a host of other NBA reporters, all of us have heard this within the last 12 hours.”

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The LA Times spoke to several NBA GMs and agents from around the league and they feel that Pelinka is unqualified for the job and should be fired.

Via The LA Times

Are they a bad franchise right now? Yes, they are a bad franchise,” said an Eastern Conference general manager, who like everyone else interviewed on the subject would speak only on condition of anonymity. “Are they correctable? Yes, they are correctable. But they are not a well-run franchise. But because they are the Lakers, they can turn it around.”

When asked how Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss can turn her franchise around, agents and general managers were succinct with their answers.

“I just don’t see how they do anything going forward with Rob in place,” one agent said. “No one trusts him.”

One agent who spoke with the LA Times believes that Pelinka lacks “credibility”

One agent said Buss needs to let a new president decide on the best course with Lakers coach Luke Walton, but he also said Pelinka, who was not available to reporters Wednesday, has to be let go.

“Honestly, they need to hire an experienced general manager with credibility and let him fire Rob,” the agent said. “Let that president that comes in, let him have the authority to hire his staff and to hire their head coach if he doesn’t want Luke Walton.”

It seems like the sentiment around the league is that the Lakers should hire a seasoned GM to run the team.

One general manager said Buss needs to do a search for a qualified person to run their front office, even suggesting that Lakers associate head coach Brian Shaw could serve in an interim executive role because of his knowledge of the team and the league.

“To tell you the truth, they should go out and get a top executive in the league to run everything,” another GM said. “That’s what they need to do. Go get a guy that can get this done. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t get done. Go get an executive that’s done it or who has built something.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss has been steadfast in her support for Pelinka and it doesn’t appear that he will be fired any time soon.