This offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers are undergoing plenty of changes and ushering in a new era after the departure of LeBron James.
Los Angeles is building around Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler going forward. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is determined to build a contender, but he also wants to bolster his front office.
At the end of last season, Pelinka announced that he would be hiring a pair of assistant general managers (one to handle analytics and one to handle scouting). However, the Lakers have yet to make a hire, and their dragged-out process was a topic of conversation at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Lakers Taking Deliberate Pace in Hiring Assistant GM
With NBA Summer League over, most teams have their management structure in place. However, the Lakers are the exception. Dan Woike, who covers the Lakers for The Athletic, provided the latest on Pelinka’s assistant GM search.
“It was another topic of conversation in Las Vegas, with members of the scouting community wondering if and when the Lakers will hire the second assistant general manager that Rob Pelinka discussed in his news conference following last season,” he wrote.
The team hired Rohan Ramadas as their assistant general manager of strategy and data systems. In other words, he will focus on advanced metrics and analytics. The second assistant GM job, which has yet to be filled, will focus on scouting, evaluating, and developing players.
“The other was intended to have a focus on development and scouting, two areas — and it can’t be overstated — that will be critical for the Lakers as they build around the Dončić-Reaves-Kessler core,” Woike wrote.
Pelinka’s approach is something that many teams employ, and not just in the NBA. However, the Lakers’ approach to filling the position has been met with confusion by those around the NBA given how long the hiring process has taken.
“People with interest in the position were left confused about the process, according to league sources,” Woike wrote.
Woike then provides one possible explanation for the delay.
“Two candidates, Minnesota’s Steve Senior and Philadelphia’s Prosper Karangwa, are widely believed to have turned the Lakers down before staying with their current organizations,” Woike wrote. “Adding the head of scouting is seen as the first step for the Lakers to address a longtime need: a lack of a robust pro scouting department. The Lakers’ 2025-26 media guide lists just three full-time domestic scouts and two international scouts. All, per league sources, had been primarily (if not fully) tasked with amateur scouting.”
It remains to be seen when Pelinka will fill the position and complete his new-look front office. For now, the Lakers continue to make moves with their current management group, including signing defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle on Monday afternoon.
