Magic Johnson can’t ask for much better moves from Rob Pelinka’s massive offseason retooling for the Los Angeles Lakers this year.
In an interview with Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, Johnson expressed his delight to the Lakers’ top executive for doing a job well done of reshaping the franchise’s depth and adding significant contributors this summer.
“I think he followed it up with another outstanding job, first from the trade deadline and then he kept it going in the summer. He did better than anybody in the summer. With all the moves he made, he was the No. 1 GM in the NBA this offseason. No question about it,” Johnson said.
All the guys that we signed will help LeBron and the other guys because now we are deeper. Rob is going to be the executive of the year.
Pelinka served as the mastermind of Los Angeles’ unthinkable ascension to the league’s competitive circle in the mid-season of 2022-23. From starting at a 2-10 lowly record during the beginning of the regular season while spending most of their campaign at the 13th spot of the competitive Western Conference, the Lakers stormed the league with its new and much more promising look upon acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley prior to the trade deadline.
The Lakers shocked the world as the seventh-seed of the West and went on to march as deep as the Conference Finals last postseason, outlasting Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round while shattering the title defense of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on their six-game Conference Semis set.
They were the first team in 18 years since the 2004-05 New Jersey Nets and Chicago Bulls to start a season 2-10 and still be able to finish above .500 for the season, and they are just the second team in NBA history to make it to the conference finals after starting 2-10, following the 1977-78 Seattle Supersonics.
Amid being swept by the eventual champs in Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers have primed themselves for a payback in the upcoming season. Pelinka went aggressive by retaining their core trio of Reaves, Russell, and Hachimura via multi-year deals. The club was also able to add Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and Jaxson Hayes from the market, and then drafted Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis.
As it is, the Lakers do boast the best 2023 offseason out of the other 29 teams in the league courtesy of Pelinka – a needed scenery as they are looking to maximize their title chances with still-productive LeBron James and newest franchise face Anthony Davis.
The all-time great point man also cast his prediction that Pelinka will eventually claim the Executive of the Year award for next season.
Pelinka finished at the 11th spot in last season’s award race with Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair taking home the plaque. His nearest to the award was 7th place back in the Lakers’ 2019-20 championship rally.
“All the guys that we signed will help LeBron and the other guys because now we are deeper. Rob is going to be executive of the year,” Johnson concluded.
