Los Angles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka may have spent all of his good graces with the franchise. The pitiful 2021-22 season has exposed his incompetence and could cost the Lakers a few years of LeBron James.
Pelinka may struggle to find another NBA home if the Lakers part ways with him. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, rival executives are fed up with him and are no longer willing to let him exert himself in whatever way he wants.
“He wasn't returning some teams calls at [this year's] deadline,” one general manager told B/R.
“He was an asshole as an agent,” said another assistant general manager. “He had the most powerful players and if he wanted the player moved, he would've eviscerated you as a staff to get whatever he wanted. You can't do that to people, and then expect them to work with you when you join their side.”
Lakers fans should also be upset with how Pelinka conducted himself. Refusing to answer phones when the team was in dire need of a shake-up is a sin. It shows that he was fine with coasting on the job he did this offseason and/or he didn't take the trade deadline all that seriously.
No one is blameless for the Lakers' troubles, not even James, but as the man in charge of the team, Pelinka has a huge responsibility to own up to. His roster has completely failed, head coach Frank Vogel can't figure out any solutions and the team mortgaged its future to win. Los Angeles has a whole lot to figure out this offseason, starting with the man at the top.