And So It Begins: Kickoff to a Crucial Lakers Offseason
Initial thoughts on Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick’s press conference
The 2025-26 season officially came to a close with the end-of-season press conference from Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick.
But judging by the topics, tone, and mostly future-oriented questions, it also kind of marked the beginning of the next one. A crucial offseason is now underway for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the organization clearly knows it.
For everyone who wants to watch the full session, I’m sharing the link to the nearly 37-minute press conference below.
For the rest, and for those interested in my first impressions, here are some early reflections in brief notes format.
After a long season, I’m also taking a couple of days off this week, which is why this one will stay shorter and more direct. Starting next week, the focus shifts fully to offseason coverage, with more in-depth deep-dives, roster discussions, and bigger-picture analysis.
Front office transformation and continuation of Dodgers influence is underway, but not very fast
Pelinka talked about the continuation of investments under the new ownership group led by Mark Walter. He mentioned several areas where the organization is now committing more resources and building additional infrastructure. One clear example is scouting. The Los Angeles Lakers hired Tony Bennett as an NBA Draft advisor to help with the upcoming draft process. Pelinka also mentioned several new front office positions and continued expansion of the data and analytics department.
Another notable development is the relocation of the Lakers’ G League affiliate to the Greater Palm Springs region in California. That move will allow the organization to further invest in the UCLA Health Training Center, including additions such as biomechanics labs, movement labs, and recovery labs.
Much of this is being done in collaboration with the sister Los Angeles Dodgers organization. It feels like a continuation of the “Dodgerization” process, with the Lakers slowly adopting more modern big-market infrastructure and operational practices.
The most intriguing part might be Pelinka mentioning further expansion of the front office, which by NBA standards has been relatively small. He specifically referenced the process of hiring two Assistant General Manager roles. One will focus on player evaluation processes, including scouting and player development, while the other will focus on the strategy side, including salary cap, analytics, and data. Apart from the welcome expansion of the front office, what also stood out to me was the timing. Pelinka mentioned they have started a wide search and begun interviews, but neither role has been filled yet. That gives me the impression there was no major urgency or mandate to have this structure fully in place well before the upcoming draft and free agency period. It left me wondering if the new ownership group maybe does not view this specific offseason with the same urgency as part of the fanbase does. To me, it feels more like a continuation of a slower, long-term organizational transformation. We’ll see if these developments, along with however the not-so-simple LeBron James situation unfolds, result in another offseason that leans more toward continuation rather than a total makeover.
