Magic Johnson is now the Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations, and he has said his first call will be to Kobe Bryant.
Maybe that’s just to get the number of Kobe’s agent, Rob Pelinka.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN:
One intriguing name to watch with Lakers front office jobs now open is sports agent Rob Pelinka, per league sources
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 21, 2017
Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report:
Nothing concrete, but I'm hearing strong indications Rob Pelinka, Kobe's longtime agent, will be the Lakers' next general manager.
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) February 21, 2017
Jerry West will not be part of the Lakers' revamped management structure, according to league sources.
— KEVIN DING (@KevinDing) February 21, 2017
Marc Stein of ESPN:
In addition to Rob Pelinka -- agent for James Harden and Kobe Bryant -- longtime agent Arn Tellem is also said to be on the Lakers' radar.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 21, 2017
Sam Amick of USA Today:
Two more names to watch in Lakers situation, in addition to Rob Pelinka & Arn Tellem: Portland's Neil Olshey & former Cavs GM Chris Grant
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 21, 2017
Unless Lakers already picked their guy (@KevinDing reporting strong possibility it's Rob Pelinka), a few more names that could be in mix...
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 21, 2017
Both have connections with Magic's pal, Larry Bird: Peter Dinwiddie (Pacers VP b-ball ops) & Kevin Pritchard (Pacers GM).
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 21, 2017
Pelinka is still an agent, and Arn Tellem is a former agent who now works for the Pistons. Agents are becoming trendier picks for front-office jobs since Warriors general manager Bob Myers blazed the trail.
If the Lakers are willing to spend big, Neil Olshey -- who previously worked in Los Angeles with the Clippers -- would be a good choice. A large salary could pull him from Portland.
Kevin Pritchard or Peter Dinwiddie could be fine if the Lakers aren’t willing to make a mega-offer good enough to lure a sitting general manager. Chris Grant might bring baggage.
As Johnson has acknowledged, he needs a general manager more savvy in the nuances of the salary cap. Any of these names would qualify. It’s about finding the very best person for the job, because Johnson needs all the help he can get.
