The Lakers have officially announced that Rob Pelinka has received both a contract extension and a promotion, elevating him to the role of President of Basketball Operations while continuing as General Manager, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
In a statement, Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss expressed her continued confidence in Pelinka: “For the past eight seasons, I’ve trusted Rob’s leadership and vision in guiding what’s best for the Lakers. His professionalism and partnership are invaluable, and I fully believe in his ability to build championship-level basketball for our team and fans.”
Pelinka originally joined the Lakers as General Manager in 2017 and was named Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2020.
During his time with the Lakers, Rob Pelinka has already secured one NBA championship and may have positioned the team for more success following the blockbuster acquisition of Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks — widely considered the biggest trade of the season. Dončić’s arrival helped propel the Lakers to a 50–32 regular-season record and the third seed in the Western Conference.
Pelinka also played a key role in bringing LeBron James to Los Angeles in 2018, a pivotal move that gave the franchise a new superstar to build around after Kobe Bryant’s retirement. Since then, the team has consistently remained in the playoff picture.
In 2019, Pelinka pulled off another major trade to acquire Anthony Davis, demonstrating his bold approach to building a championship roster. Though Davis was later traded to Dallas as part of the deal for Dončić, the move highlighted Pelinka’s willingness to take big swings in pursuit of star talent.
A former NCAA champion with Michigan in 1989, the 55-year-old Pelinka had a successful career as a player agent—representing several high-profile NBA stars—before transitioning to an executive role with the Lakers
