Rob Pelinka Criticized For Lakers’ Lackluster Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t do much this offseason. They were quiet ahead of the deadline in February and maintained the same tempo throughout June. The team showed interest and actually tried to get a few star players, but their biggest targets went somewhere else. They also wanted UConn’s Dan Hurley, but he turned down their offer. Rob Pelinka and his staff were close to signing Klay Thompson this offseason, but he joined Luka Doncic’s team.

The NBA world wasn’t too excited about Pelinka’s offseason moves and hit him with an unhealthy dose of criticism. The Lakers had to make some big changes and it didn’t happen. Their playoff frustration is persistent and Nick Wright from FOX Sports had something to say about it.

“So what does Rob Pelinka do?” Wright said in a July 1 video posted by “First Things First” on X. “Like seriously. You have the greatest player ever being like, ‘Hey, I’ll take less money if you can land somebody,’ and the Dallas Mavericks … they’ve been striking out on free agents for a decade. The Dallas Mavericks win a bidding war for a player whose dad is your broadcaster?”

Pelinka should’ve been more aggressive this offseason

According to Wright, Pelinka has everything he needs to create a monster roster, but he seems to be making mistakes.

“You can’t sign the coach you try to sign,” Wright said, referencing Hurley. “You can’t land Klay. What does he do? What more help does Rob Pelinka need is my question?”

“So what does Rob Pelinka do?” — @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/wDzZCFeQNY

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) July 1, 2024

The Lakers didn’t have much success in the last few seasons. However, Pelinka’s position with the team hasn’t changed. If the situation doesn’t change, Jeanie Buss may decide to cut ties with Pelinka and hire someone else for his position. Is he responsible for the messy situation? Let’s see how things go in the 2024-25 NBA season.