Lakers have signed Rob Pelinka to a contract extension

The Lakers have given president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka a contract extension, keeping him in Los Angeles.

Rob Pelinka won’t be leaving Los Angeles any time soon, as the Lakers have given him a contract extension.

As part of that extension, he has been promoted to president of basketball operations and will also keep the title of general manager.

Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report the news.

While details on the contract are still being announced, the Lakers released a statement about his extension. Owner Jeanie Buss said she trusted him to help “deliver championship-caliber basketball for Los Angeles and Lakers fans everywhere.”

Pelinka has been part of the Lakers’ front office for eight years. He first worked as a general manager and became vice president of basketball operations in 2020.

His previous contract was set to expire in 2026, so he would’ve been in a bit of a hot seat had a deal not gotten done this summer.

The future of Lakers basketball had a lot of questions entering this year, but now it looks brighter than ever.

Pelinka has been promoted to president of basketball operations, the Lakers have their front office intact, a head coach secured in JJ Redick and a young superstar in Luka Dončić.

While trading for Luka is likely why Pelinka is receiving this promotion and contract extension, he’s had plenty of success with the organization.

During Pelinka’s time with the franchise, the Lakers have won a title, made the Western Conference Finals, and are currently a championship contender, having won 50 games.

He has had some misses in trades, like his deal to bring in Russell Westbrook, but he was also part of the trade for Anthony Davis and pivoted well after the Westbrook fiasco to bring the Lakers back into contention.

Pelinka demonstrated tremendous patience last year, keeping the team’s draft assets and not panicking and bowing to fan pressure to make some kind of deal to give the Lakers a shot at the title.

This summer, he stated he would trade the team’s first round picks if it led to “sustainable Lakers excellence,” and he kept his word, pulling off one of the biggest deals in NBA history: trading for superstar Luka.

Pelinka still has a first round pick he can use in future deals, and he now has the years on his contract to continue setting the Lakers up for success for years to come.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.