Lakers Rumors: GM Rob Pelinka Agrees to Contract Extension Amid Promotion to VP

The Los Angeles Lakers added vice president of basketball operations to general manager Rob Pelinka's title on Friday, per a team statement.  

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also reported that Pelinka received a contract extension as part of the promotion. The VP/GM signed a five-year deal in 2017 that would have taken him through the 2021-22 season without the extension, per Wojnarowski.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss praised Pelinka in a statement on the move (h/t Bill Oram of The Athletic):

The 30-7 Lakers are first in the Western Conference by four games over the second-place Denver Nuggets. An offseason trade with the New Orleans Pelicans that netted L.A. six-time All-Star Anthony Davis has been the catalyst for the team's surge. 

Pelinka also made some fruitful offseason moves to surround James and Davis with players who adequately fill their roles, including the signing of center Dwight Howard, the re-signing of big man JaVale McGee and the acquisitions of wings Danny Green and Avery Bradley.

The Chicago native played at the University of Michigan on the famous Fab Five teams that made back-to-back national championship games in 1992 and 1993. His post-playing life led to him becoming an NBA agent, most notably for Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

Pelinka joined the Lakers front office in 2017 as a GM under then-president of basketball operations Magic Johnson. The five-time NBA champion and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer abruptly retired near the end of the 2018-19 season, and the Lakers went with Pelinka as its front-office leader.

That choice has clearly been a good one as the Lakers looked primed to return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 10 years.