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Star 27-year-old guard Luka Dončić is now unquestionably the Lakers’ franchise centerpiece. But that doesn’t mean he wants to dip his toes into front office operations regarding roster personnel.
Rob Pelinka, Lakers GM and president of basketball operations, made this clear during an interview on ESPN’s “Mason & Ireland Show” on Thursday.
“I think Luka has been amazing. I said today, I feel like we’re co-creators with him. That’s kind of because he’s a very creative basketball mind. Ultimately, I have the final responsibility to make calls on the roster. And Luka is very clear, like, ‘I want you to do your job. I don’t want to be the GM. I don’t want to be the head coach. JJ [Redick], you’re the coach. Rob, you’re the GM and president. Do your jobs,’” Pelinka said, quoting Dončić.
“‘But we can co-create. Let’s share ideas. Let’s break down pros and cons and look at all aspects of a potential decision point before we make it,’” Pelinka continued, quoting what Dončić told him.
“He has been thoughtful; he’s brilliant. And I think he’s really excited about this group, and I think we saw that with some of the clips and footage we’ve seen from Luka’s little minicamp in Slovenia,” Pelinka added.
Much of the basketball community has criticized that the Lakers haven’t done enough to improve their roster this offseason.
Los Angeles will prove whether that’s true once the season begins on Oct. 21.
