The Lakers are finally going to start acting like the financial powerhouse they are.
New owner Mark Walter is already one of the wealthiest owners in the NBA, a far cry from the Buss family. That wealth can
be spent in only a few ways in the NBA, unlike the Dodgers, which Walter also owns.
One of those ways is the front office where there is no limit on what the Lakers can spend on the staff off the court. Last week, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that the Lakers planned to make wholesale hires to the front office.
Prior to the Lakers’ win over the Warriors on Saturday, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka confirmed the report, noting that he and Governor Jeanie Buss would oversee the hires.
It would be fair to have some concerns about Pelinka overseeing the hires of the front office considering how hot his seat could be if things go awry this offseason, but given his title, it would be his job to oversee the hirings of the front office.
The question now will be how quickly and how aggressively the team moves to make these hires. It’s unlikely personnel will leave teams midseason, though front office hires and movement aren’t often reported, so it’s possible.
Considering how important this summer will be for the Lakers, assembling a front office and, specifically, a scouting department, should be a high priority.
This is an area where the Lakers should have an advantage over most teams. They are the face of the NBA. They now have the spending power to go along with that.
It’s time they start acting like the premier franchise they are.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
