Despite their disappointing season, the Los Angeles Lakers are not willing to fire GM Rob Pelinka. Instead, the 17-time NBA champions want to give him a chance to rebuild the roster.
Following the elimination from the play-in tournament, head coach Frank Vogel and GM Rob Pelinka were expected to part ways with the team.
However, it seems the Lakers’ front office doesn’t look at Pelinka as the only one to blame for the disastrous season.
“The buzz around the league suggests general manager Rob Pelinka has another year to get the Lakers back on track.
The blame internally appears to be focused on injuries, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James for pressuring the team to trade for Westbrook,” Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes.
With that in mind, Pelinka will have another opportunity to bring Los Angeles back to the top. However, his mission will not be an easy one.
With Westbrook being under a massive contract (player option of $47.1M), it will be impossible for the Lakers to trade him. The former All-Star has expressed the desire to return to the team next season.
Given the lucrative contracts of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a Westbrook return will prevent the Lakers from having cap flexibility.
So, Rob Pelinka will need to make smart moves and sign players that will fit to the playing style of the Big-3. As a matter of fact, lack of chemistry has been the biggest issue for the Lakers this season.
Overall, Rob Pelinka will most likely have one final chance to turn things around. And this time he knows that if he fails, he will leave the team.
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