New Lakers Rumors Reveal Candidates for Rob Pelinka's Front-Office Shakeup After NBA Playoffs Loss

As the Los Angeles Lakers expand their front office under new owner Mark Walter, they are casting a wide net in search of candidates from around the NBA to work alongside Rob Pelinka.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the list of potential targets for the Lakers includes Prosper Karangwa of the Philadelphia 76ers, Eric Amsler of the Miami Heat and Bart Taylor of the Utah Jazz.

Minnesota Timberwolves assistant general manager Steve Senior was also on the list, but Scotto noted he passed on an offer from the Lakers to remain in his current job.

Karangwa, who has worked in the Sixers front office since October 2020, has also received interest from the Dallas Mavericks in the wake of Daryl Morey's split with Philadelphia following a second-round playoff loss.

Amsler has been with the Heat since the 2004-05 season when he started as an intern. He has primarily worked in the scouting department and has served as vice president of player personnel since the 2023-24 season.

Taylor just finished his 13th season overall with the Jazz and fourth as vice president of player personnel.

The Athletic's Dan Woike reported on Feb. 6 that the Lakers were planning "significant hires" to expand their front office to more closely resemble the model in place with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Walter is the controlling partner of the Dodgers as part of the Guggenheim group that purchased the MLB franchise in 2012.

Pelinka, who will remain the primary decision-maker in the front office, has said the plan is for the Lakers to hire two assistant general managers this offseason. One will primarily focus on overseeing the draft and player evaluation processes, while the other will be relied on for strategy with the salary cap, data and analytics.

The Lakers' front-office expansion comes after a 53-29 record in the regular season that earned the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. They defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round before being swept in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.