Despite having LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the squad, Rob Pelinka is arguably the LA LAkers’ best asset. His transfer decisions, team calls, and overall player management has to be one of, if not the best in the league. And this isn’t just a player perspective either- as the Showtime have rewarded his work with a fresh contract, as per Shams Charania of ESPN.

But this isn’t just an extension for “Rob Pelinka, General Manager, LA Lakers.” This new contract comes with a position upgrade as well. Yep, you’re now looking at the new President of Basketball Operations, along with being the GM. Neat right? The Lakers fanbase is delighted. They’re calling him a huge boost in the front office as compared to his predecessor, Mitch Kupchak. Truly deserved, indeed.

Luka is just one of his many, many great masterclasses as the Lakers GM. This is on top of signing LeBron, Anthony Davis, and JJ Redick as head coach. It was these decisions that Jeanie Buss hired him for. And the added title is just a testament to the

“For eight seasons, I have relied on Rob’s vision and leadership to do what’s best for the Lakers organization,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “I value his partnership and professionalism and believe in his ability to deliver championship-caliber basketball for Los Angeles and Lakers fans everywhere.”

Ideally, the Lakers are in the perfect spot right know. Luka Doncic is the perfect face of the organization, with the King’s retirement on the horizon. The purple and gold half of LA couldn’t be more excited to get a future hall of famer in the bag. But recent footages say that Luka himself wasn’t too pleased on the deal.

Rob Pelinka signing Luka Doncic didn’t sit well with the Slovenian

Luka was the heaven-send for the Mavericks. Since he came into the NBA in 2018, he’s been more than just another player in Dallas. It was his home. He was their chosen son. And if it was his call to make, he would’ve wanted to stay there forever. He would hope to be called a Slovenian-Texan by the time he was done writing history with the Mavs. But unfortunately for them, Mavs GM Nico Harrison didn’t feel the same way. And the magician heard of the news, he threw his phone on the ground in anger and sadness.

Even when Harrison hosted his first press since the trade, there were signs of bitterness from him. And this was unexpected for the Don. “It’s just sad the way he’s talking right now,” Doncic said of Harrison during a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews that aired Friday. “I never say anything bad about him, and I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I’ll always keep at heart. It’s time for me to move on from there.”

Coming to show his magic to the Crypto.com Arena could bode better for him. The Lakers are now eyeing for their first championship in half a decade, while the Mavs scratched and clawed their way into a play-ins spot. But even Luka knows, that wasn’t the way he envisoned his Mavericks career coming to an end. But all’s well that ends well.

Rob Pelinka’s contract extension isn’t just an overdue sign of repayment- it’s a statement to the league. He’s sticking around, and his smooth operations aren’t going anywhere. But one of those smooth operations did break his player’s heart, even though that wasn’t the intention.