Television personality Stephen A. Smith said on 'The Stephen A. Smith Show' that he believes Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka will not remain in his role following the team's sale by Mark Walter to former Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner.
Stephen A. Smith predicts Rob Pelinka will be removed after Lakers sale to Iger and Kushner
Television personality Stephen A. Smith said on 'The Stephen A. Smith Show' that he believes Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka will not remain in his role following the team's sale by Mark Walter to former Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner.
Smith said he believes minority owner Jeanie Buss will become more involved in the team's operations, and that the new ownership group will pursue Bob Myers, president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment and a two-time NBA executive of the year. Iger confirmed in an exclusive interview with the Post on Wednesday that the new ownership group intends to keep Buss in her current role. No such accommodation for Pelinka was announced.
Myers currently oversees operations for the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils in his role as president for Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment. Smith acknowledged that Myers's current position complicates any potential move.
Pelinka has been in the Lakers' front office since March 2017, when he was hired as general manager, and was later promoted to president of basketball operations in April 2025. During his tenure, the Lakers won the NBA title in 2020 and have been regular playoff participants. Pelinka signed LeBron James as a free agent and traded for Anthony Davis in 2019. In February 2025, Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic.
Myers joined the Golden State Warriors front office in 2011 and became general manager in 2012, helping the team win 4 NBA titles from 2015 to 2022. He stepped down as general manager in 2023. In 2024, Myers served as an advisor to the NFL's Washington Commanders as they restructured their front-office leadership, and last year he served on the search committee that helped UCLA Football hire head coach Bob Chesney.
According to the source, during Walter's tenure as owner, Pelinka's position had been considered secure, with the team planning to retain him in his current role.
- The source does not state whether Rob Pelinka has responded to or been made aware of Smith's prediction.
- The source does not state whether Bob Myers has been contacted by the Lakers' new ownership group or has expressed interest in the role.
- The source does not state whether Jeanie Buss has commented on her expected expanded involvement.
- The source does not establish the terms or timeline of the completed sale of the Lakers from Mark Walter to Iger and Kushner.
- The source does not state what 'a month' refers to in Smith's claim that Myers had Jaylen Brown and LeBron James within a month, nor in what context that occurred.
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