Report: Pelinka to remain Lakers GM amid Magic's exit
Rob Pelinka won't follow Magic Johnson out the door.
Though Johnson's sudden resignation as the Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Tuesday caught the entire organization by surprise, Pelinka will stay on as the team's general manager and may even be entrusted with more power, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Pelinka was unaware of Johnson's intentions even after joining the 59-year-old in a meeting with LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul on Saturday.
Despite not informing him of his impending exit, Johnson thanked Pelinka on Wednesday, among others, for his time with the franchise.
Thank you to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, General Manager Rob Pelinka, Coach Luke Walton, the Lakers players & the entire basketball operations staff for the tremendous opportunity to serve as the President of Basketball Operations for the @Lakers. I will always be a Laker for life.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 10, 2019
Hired in 2017 to replace the dismissed Mitch Kupchak, Pelinka, 49, had no previous front-office experience before taking the job. Pelinka had previously worked as an NBA agent since 2003, representing star players such as Kobe Bryant, Andre Drummond, and James Harden.