The Los Angeles Lakers are moving to expand their front office under new owner Mark Walter, and the search has widened across the NBA as the team looks for people to work alongside Rob Pelinka. Rob Pelinka said the Lakers plan to hire two assistant general managers this offseason, a clear sign that the club wants a larger operation after a season that ended in a second-round sweep.
Dan Woike reported on Feb. 6 that the Lakers were planning significant hires to expand their front office, and the direction now appears to be taking shape. One assistant general manager will focus on the draft and player evaluation, while the other will handle salary-cap strategy, data and analytics. The Lakers want that structure to look more like the model used by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the baseball team Walter has overseen as controlling partner since 2012.
Michael Scotto reported that the list of potential targets includes Prosper Karangwa, Eric Amsler and Bart Taylor. Karangwa has worked in the Sixers front office since October 2020. Amsler has been with the Heat since the 2004-05 season, when he started as an intern, 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 his fourth as vice president of player personnel.
The search has not been limited to one team or one kind of resume. Minnesota Timberwolves assistant general manager Steve Senior also drew interest, but he passed on an offer from the Lakers to stay in his current job. That matters because it shows Los Angeles is not simply promoting from within or filling a single vacancy; it is trying to build a front office with enough depth to match a team that expects to contend.
The push comes after a Lakers season that ended with a 53-29 record, the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, a first-round win over the Houston Rockets and then a second-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The record was strong enough to make the playoffs feel like a step forward. The exit, though, left the organization looking for more than a clean basketball answer. It wants more voices, more specialization and a front office built for the long haul, not just the next roster decision.
