Jeanie Buss’ Politics Exposed After Rob Pelinka Fails to Fulfil LeBron James’ Demand

When will the 19th championship come? This has been the question among Lakers Nation since 2020. After the Celtics secured their 18th championship last season, the cry for another championship is louder than ever in LA. For Rob Pelinka, the pressure has been constant since he joined the franchise. Despite recent failures, he remains the GM, thanks to his connection with Jeanie Buss.

NBA journalist Howard Beck, who recently joined The Rich Eisen Show, suggested this situation. According to Beck, if it weren’t for Jeanie Buss, Pelinka would’ve been gone by now, as the Lakers’ championship pedigree hit a massive roadblock this offseason.

When asked why Pelinka is still the Lakers GM, Beck said, “Because Rob Pelinka is Jeanie Buss’ choice….There are drawbacks to deciding to stick with just the people you know and trust as opposed to trying to find the best solution.” Pelinka joined the franchise in 2017 after Jeanie Buss decided to fire Mitch Kupchak as GM, alongside Jim Buss as VP of basketball ops. Magic Johnson replaced the latter but left after a few years due to a rift with Pelinka. Since 2019, Pelinka has been acting as the Lakers GM and VP, but apart from the championship in 2020, there’s not much to show for.

Casting further doubts over the Pelinka-led Lakers, Beck added, “How is this team getting past Oklahoma or Dallas or Denver or Minnesota, they’re kind of in a range with I mean they could be leapfrogged by, the Pelicans who picked up Dejounte Murray, and I think probably have a Brandon Ingram trade to come at some point. The Grizzlies are gonna be healthy. They’re probably gonna leapfrog the Lakers. So, like, I would just ask this question more or less rhetorically/ Are the Lakers even trying to win another championship with LeBron James on the roster?”

This has been the biggest question over the past few seasons. After last season’s first-round exit, Rob Pelinka quickly fired Darvin Ham and brought in the inexperienced JJ Redick. But with no additions to the roster barring draft picks, the Lakers are in the same position they were last year, and their two aces, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are now a year older.

Rob Pelinka’s inactivity in the market puts Lakers out of contention

Looking at the Western Conference this offseason, it is easy to say next year will be a tougher battle for everyone involved. The only team that has yet to make a market move is the Lakers. Pelinka has already blamed the apron limits on the Collective Bargaining Agreement. LeBron James reportedly demanded a better roster, but apart from bringing in Bronny James, Pelinka has done close to nothing. This raises big questions about where the improvement will come from in this roster.

“LeBron’s another year older. Anthony Davis is another year older. And they had one of their better seasons together in terms of health this past season, and history suggests you can’t expect that every year. So where’s the improvement coming from? D’Angelo Russell is who he is,” Beck said. “Maybe there’s an Austin Reaves leap. Maybe there’s a Max Christie leap. I don’t think you’re gonna see major Rui Hachimura leap at this stage. There’s nobody else on the roster you look at and say, that’s the guy who’s going to suddenly elevate them.”

JJ Redick has talked about the catch-and-shoot approach he’d implement in the Lakers. But he’d have to do that with the same pieces that failed to do so last season. “They needed more firepower, they needed more help on the wing, they need more, defense. They need more shooting. This team is not built to contend,” Beck concluded. With Dalton Knecht‘s contract blocking a trade option for another half a month, expect to see movements if at all from the Lakers after the Olympics. D’Angelo Russell is also a viable trade candidate with a year left on his contract. So there’s still some hope for the Lakers to improve their roster, but it’s a race against time for both the franchise and Rob Pelinka.