It is not only LeBron James‘ days with the Los Angeles Lakers that are numbered after he was not offered a contract extension. Rob Pelinka, too, Lakers legend Byron Scott predicts.
The Lakers have just extended Rob Pelinka’s contract in April, promoting him to become the team’s president of basketball operations while also retaining his role as general manager after he successfully executed the stunning Luka Dončić trade.
But that was before the Buss family sold the majority stakes of the Lakers to LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation.
Scott, who played for and coached the Lakers in the past, also predicted that his former teammate Earvin “Magic” Johnson would return to the front office and replace Pelinka.
Jeanie Buss struck a deal to remain as the governor of the team for the next five seasons. But Scott believes Walter will bring in his people and he could not think of any better basketball mind than Johnson in his group.
“He might be Mark’s guy that he puts in there to make sure it goes the way it should go,” Scott said on his podcast, “Byron Scott’s Fastbreak” with Kid Jay and guest, former NBA center Olden Polynice, on July 14. “And Mark would be the one guy he reports to.
“One of the problems he had was that when he was with the Lakers was he wanted full autonomy, and what I heard, Jeanie had given him that. And then he wanted to make a change in the front office and Jeanie said, ‘No, you can’t do that.’”
The Magic Johnson-Rob Pelinka Fallout
Johnson stunned the world, including the Lakers, when he abruptly resigned from his role as team president following the 2018-19 season, accusing Pelinka of “backstabbing” him.
“If you’re going to talk betrayal, it’s only with Rob,” Johnson explicitly said on “First Take” in May of 2019.
“Things got going in the right direction. And then I start hearing, ‘Magic, you’re not working hard enough. Magic’s not in the office.’ So people around the Lakers’ office were telling me Rob was saying things,” Johnson explained. “And I didn’t like those things being said behind my back. That I wasn’t in the office enough and on and on.
“So I started getting calls from my friends outside of basketball and those things were said to them outside of basketball. Now it’s in the media and so on.”
Pelinka denied Johnson’s accusations.
“These things are surprising to hear and disheartening. … They’re just simply not true,” Pelinka said during the introductory press conference of then-Lakers coach Frank Vogel. “I stand beside him. I stand with him as a colleague and a partner. I’ve always supported everything he’s done and will continue to.”
Magic Johnson Excited About Lakers’ Future Under Mark Walter
Getty Will Lakers legend Magic Johnson make a front office comeback?
After the news of the Lakers’ sale broke out, Johnson made it known to the world his relationship with the incoming majority owner via a lengthy statement on X:
“Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the Lakers legacy and tradition of winning – Mark Walter, my business partner and friend! Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker brand. The proof is in the pudding on what he’s been able to accomplish with the LA Dodgers. Mark has been nothing short of a winner notching 2 World Series and 11 NL West divisional titles in the last 12 years!
“Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark – he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike – they are competitive people, l have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world. I am so so SO happy and excited for Lakers fans all over the world!!”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described Walter as “very competitive” and someone who “wants to win” in a Los Angeles Times story that was published on June 18.
“He’s going to do everything he can to produce a championship-caliber team every single year and make sure the city feels proud,” Roberts told The LA Times. That philosophy hasn’t just been lip service—it’s been reflected in the Dodgers’ day-to-day operations, from massive free agent contracts to science-backed player development.
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