Durham Pelinka, son of Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, came to his father’s defense on social media. X user @JefeZhai claimed that they shared a YouTube video criticizing Pelinka’s tenure as the Lakers’ GM.
They attached a screenshot of a comment from the video. The comment was left by a person claiming to be Pelinka’s son. They wrote:
“Hey dude … that’s my pops … might be biased but we did win a chip in 2020 after he inherited a terrible team with some of the worst contracts in basketball at the time … also pulled off a pretty historic trade and the pieces were good this year … Marcus Smart was insane, Luke Kennard was legit and Rui had a brilliant post season. I think we give the Thunder a run for it if the best playoff player in the world is healthy.”
Rob Pelinka has faced criticism over the Lakers’ lack of postseason success in the last few years. He took over the team in 2017 and got off to a good start after signing LeBron James in 2018. Pelinka facilitated the trade for Anthony Davis, who averaged 25.0 points and 10.7 rebounds in the 2020 NBA Finals.
However, since that trip to the Finals, the Lakers have only reached the Conference finals once and have been eliminated in the first round three times. They also did not qualify for the playoffs in the 2021-2022 season.
Fans lauded Pelinka after he negotiated the trade for Luka Doncic in 2025. But the Lakers’ recent run has led to criticism, with some fans doubting Pelinka’s ability to lead the front office in Doncic’s era.
How did Rob Pelinka’s summer signings fare in the 2025-26 season?
After the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season, their glaring lack of depth at the center spot was exposed. Los Angeles brought in DeAndre Ayton this summer to remedy that.
Ayton was effective in the regular season, recording 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He played 10 games in the playoffs, recording 10.0 points and 9.6 rebounds. While Ayton was productive, he still isn’t an effective rim-runner or someone who can space the floor, profiles that proved effective alongside Doncic during the Dallas Mavericks’ 2024 NBA Finals run.
Moreover, he was signed to a two-year deal with a player option for the second year. He could opt out to seek a longer deal or a larger contract elsewhere ahead of 2026-27.
The Lakers also brought in Marcus Smart last summer. He played 62 regular-season games, averaging 9.3 points and 3.0 assists per game. Smart was a difference maker in the playoffs, recording 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.4 steals. But, he also has a player option for next season and is not guaranteed to return.
The Lakers also traded for Luke Kennard in February. He played 32 regular-season games, averaging 9.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 44.8% from 3-point range. He will also become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Los Angeles did not get to see the full extent of what this team could achieve due to Luka Doncic’s injury. He suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in April and missed the playoffs. The Lakers reached the Western Conference semifinals without him but were swept by the OKC Thunder.
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