NBA: 5 NBA Executives with the most to prove in the future

Rob Pelinka – Los Angeles Lakers

Next, we have one of the more up-and-coming general managers in Rob Pelinka. Now, former agent Pelinka was brought in back in 2017 when the Los Angeles Lakers fired Mitch Kupchak. Pelinka was not your typical NBA executive, as he spent most of his career representing players rather than signing them.

Throughout his career, Pelinka represented the likes of Andre Drummond, James Harden, and Kevin Durant, just to name a few. It’s no secret that sports agents need to be personable in order to succeed. The key to the game is to make long-lasting connections that will lead to the acquisition of clients. That sort of decorum most certainly translates to the world of NBA executives.

With that in mind, it was no question why Magic Johnson would ultimately hire Pelinka back in 2017. With his network and history working out deals with NBA executives from an agent’s perspective, Pelinka was an “outside the box” candidate with an “inside the box” feel.

Since Pelinka was brought in, the Lakers were able to sign LeBron James and trade a bevy of players to acquire Anthony Davis. These moves in and of themselves have brought the Lakers back to relevance. But, that doesn’t mean Pelinka’s job is perfectly safe. It will all come down to whether the Lakers can go all the way. Obviously, building a team isn’t enough. In order to truly prosper, the Lakers will need to pull off the impossible, and win a title.