The Timberwolves and Randle have agreed to a three-year, $100 million new contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. The third year is a player option. Randle is opting out of the $30.9 million he is owed for next season to sign this new deal (which is why this is not an extension), which keeps him at about the same pay level and with a couple more years of security.
Randle came over to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade and there was considerable skepticism around the league about Randle's fit with his new team. While it took a while, he started playing well as a complementary player alongside Anthony Edwards and next to Rudy Gobert, taking over when matchups dictated. Randle averaged 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds a game this past season, but more impressive was his consistently quick decision-making. When needed, Randle could return to the bully ball that is at the core of his game to get buckets.
Minnesota had a +8.2 net rating in the playoffs when Edwards, Randle and Gobert were on the court together. It was +8.4 when focusing on just Randle and Gobert.
With Reid and Randle in place, the Timberwolves will not have much room to operate under the luxury tax's second apron.
Signing Randle and Reid means Nickeil Alexander-Walker will not be back with the Timberwolves — Minnesota can't afford to bring all three back with raises. Alexander-Walker will be a free agent, likely making around the mid-level exception ($14.1 million next season). The Clippers, Pistons and Magic are the teams he's been most linked to.
The proliferation of legalized gambling has had plenty of unintended consequences. In the NBA, another serious set of consequences could be playing out.
The case traces to the 2023-24 season, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks. A prominent sportsbook detected "usually heavy betting" on Beasley's stats in January 2024.
"An investigation is not a charge," attorney Steve Haney told ESPN.com. "Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything."
The NBA told ESPN.com that it is cooperating with the investigation.
Last year, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for his role in a gambling scheme based on Porter's "under" propositions in multiple games.
The NFL has managed to avoid a major gambling scandal since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the floodgates for states to adopt spots betting in 2018. It feels as if it's just a matter of time before it happens in America's most popular sport.
Though Eric Gordon is declining his player option, the Sixers and the veteran shooting guard have mutual interest in him returning to Philadelphia, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that Gordon was declining his $3.5 million option to “explore free agency” and PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson first reported the mutual interest between Gordon and the Sixers.
The team values the 36-year-old’s fit as a proven shooter, a source said. Gordon indeed has extensive credentials on that front. He was frigid to begin last season but ended up at 40.9 percent beyond the arc.
Gordon played in 39 games before undergoing season-ending right wrist surgery. He averaged 19.7 minutes and posted 6.8 points and 1.7 assists per game.
“It’s tough,” Gordon said at his exit interview after the Sixers’ 24-58 season. “I’ve been playing for so long and injuries are part of the game. Throughout a long season, you’ve got to figure out ways to win when guys are out or whatnot. It’s very challenging for an organization to have so many guys out at the same time … couldn’t really build chemistry.
“It was really hard to learn. This is a talented team … but we never had a real shot to show how good we could really be.”
The Sixers on Wednesday drafted a prospect that Gordon knows well. Both Gordon and No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe represented the Bahamas last summer in Olympic qualifying play.
“It’s crazy that me and EG are teammates now,” Edgecombe said with a smile on his draft-night Zoom press conference. “EG’s old, man. I tell him all the time, he’s old, man. But nah, it’s a great thing. … It’ll be someone I already know on the team that can help me with longevity or how to play your role … just teaching me life on and off the court “
Gordon was the sixth and final piece of Sixers option news leading into free agency.
JD Davison is still a part of the Boston Celtics’ plans — for now.
The Celtics are exercising their team option on Davison worth $2.27 million for the 2025-26 season, according to multiple reports. Davison’s salary is non-guaranteed and doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2026, so Boston can release him at any point prior to the start of the season without absorbing a salary cap hit.
Davison didn’t play much at the NBA level last season, appearing in just 16 games for the Celtics while averaging 2.1 points over 5.8 minutes per game. He thrived in the G League, however, averaging 25.1 points, 7.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Maine Celtics to earn G League MVP honors.
The C’s rewarded Davison’s strong play by converting his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal in April, just before the end of the 2024-25 regular season. They had until 5 p.m. ET on Sunday to make a decision about his team option.
A second-round pick in 2022 (53rd overall), Davison is just 22 years old and potentially could see more NBA action this season after the departure of fellow guard Jrue Holiday — especially if the Celtics end up flipping Anfernee Simons.
But if Simons stays — or if 2025 first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez shows more promise in the backcourt behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard — Davison may be the odd man out.
Either way, picking up Davison’s option gives Boston flexibility to decide closer to the regular season whether to carry him on the active roster or part ways with the young guard.
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In what could turn into an incredibly embarrassing and awkward situation for the NBA, the "U.S. District Attorney's office is investigating Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets," reports ESPN’s Shams Charania. This gambling allegedly took place during the 2023-24 season, when Beasley was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Beasley, 28, was one of the bigger names on the free agent market this summer after averaging 16.3 points a game while shooting 41.6% on 3-pointers for the Pistons last season. Charania reports that the Pistons and Beasley were discussing a new three-year, $42 million contract, but that is now on hold. No team will touch him in free agency, either, until this is resolved.
"An investigation is not a charge. Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything."
While the NBA had to deal with former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter betting on games and tipping off a gambling circuit to fix prop bets on him — he has since been banned for life from the league — Porter was not really in a position to impact the outcome of games. Beasley was. He played in 79 games for the Bucks during the season in question, almost 30 minutes a night, and averaged 11.3 points a night as a floor spacer next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Last season he played in all 82 games for the Pistons.
The Pistons had been linked to multiple free agents this summer (they have or can create some cap space), which makes some more sense now if they knew what was coming with Beasley.
Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is exercising his $52.6-million option and is on track to play his 23rd NBA season. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Lakers superstar LeBron James will once again make NBA history by playing in his 23rd NBA season.
James exercised his player option for $52.6 million to play for the Lakers during the 2025-26 season, his agent and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul told The Times on Sunday morning.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, had been tied with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in the NBA at 22. This will be James’ eighth season with the Lakers.
James, 40, is 50 games away from breaking Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record for the most games played in the regular season.
James averaged 24.4 points per game last season, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds.
Fellow Laker Dorian Finney-Smith reportedly declined his $15.3-million player option and will pursue free agency, a person with knowledge of his decision told The Times. Finney-Smith, who is coming off a strong season with the Lakers, is expected to be pursued by multiple teams. He could still return to the Lakers. ESPN was first to report Finney-Smith's decision.
Last week, Austin Reaves declined the team’s maximum offer of four years for $89 million, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Reaves, 27, still has two years left on his deal, for $13.9 million next season and $14.9 million in the 2026-27 season, and he holds a player option for the last year of his deal.
Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and teammate Austin Reaves react to a referee's call during a 2025 NBA playoff game against Minnesota. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
He was third on the Lakers in scoring last season, averaging career-highs in scoring (20.2), assists (5.8), rebounds (4.5) and minutes per game (34.9). He shot 46% from the field and 37.7% from three-point range.
With the James and Smith player option questions resolved Sunday, the Lakers are focused on filling out their roster. They added an athletic wing player when they acquired Adou Thiero in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted him with the 36th pick in the second round.
The most pressing need for the Lakers remains a center, and they’ll have to look into free agency or via trade to acquire one.
The Lakers have the taxpayer mid-level exception of about $5.65 million to spend.
“As I said at the end of the year, we know one of the things we have to address is the center position and that’s clearly going to be one of our focuses as we begin the free-agency period,” Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, told Spectrum SportsNet after the second round of the draft Thursday. “... “So, we’re looking forward to just putting in the hard work and making sure we take care of all the needs on the roster to give [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] the tools he needs for this team to be great next season.”
“Very humbling,” he said at the time. “A step toward my goals, what I’m trying to accomplish. Still processing it all, to say the least. It still feels like a surreal moment to be so close to home, being in Philly of all places. So I’m taking it one day at a time, just staying present, doing what I’ve got to do for the team and playing to the best of my capabilities on the floor.”
He was sidelined by a concussion he suffered in mid-March but otherwise a regular for the injury-stricken Sixers. Walker averaged 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 20 games. He shot 42 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the foul line.
The 26-year-old two-guard showed his shotmaking chops late in the season and matched his career high with a 31-point performance in the Sixers’ final game vs. the Bulls.
As had been rumored for a few weeks now, LeBron James has picked up his $52.6 million player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. Sunday was the deadline for LeBron to pick up his option.
"LeBron wants to compete for a championship," Paul told ESPN. "He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
"We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him."
In the last few years in Los Angeles, LeBron would opt out of that final year and then re-sign with the Lakers on a new two- or three-year deal with a player option at the end, which helped LeBron leverage in the organization. Choosing to opt into his player option and be a free agent next summer is a change in strategy, and the tone of Paul's statement was, essentially, "let's see what this looks like a year from now."
A year from now, LeBron James will be 41 and there is some speculation that this season, his 23rd (while wearing No. 23, and with the All-Star Game in Los Angeles) could be his last. LeBron has said nothing about this yet other than that he and his family need to discuss it. He is far more likely to make that announcement and embark on a farewell tour of sorts, rather than simply decide to walk away, as Tim Duncan did.
The Lakers are in a transition phase after the stunning trade for Luka Doncic — the 25-year-old is now the future of the franchise. The Lakers are making offseason moves to bring in players who will thrive next to Doncic (such as a rim-running center, the team's top offseason priority). The Lakers can offer Doncic an extension on Aug. 2 and will make a max offer to him then.
With Doncic, LeBron and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have a core that can make noise in the Western Conference next season if they have the right depth around them. Los Angeles won 50 games and finished as the No. 3 seed in the West last season (only to fall to Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs). A similar regular season finish, combined with a better playoff run, is the team's goal next season, they seen themselves as contenders.
LeBron has spent the start of his offseason recovering from a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, which he suffered in the Lakers' final playoff game against Minnesota.
The Kings will exercise their team option on guard Keon Ellis, sources confirmed to NBC Sports California’s Tristi Rodriguez on Sunday.
The Sacramento Kings have exercised their team option on Keon Ellis, sources tell me, locking him in at a salary of $2.3 million for the 2025-26 season.
The undrafted 25-year-old has seen his role with Sacramento increase season after season since signing a two-way contract with the Kings after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. Sacramento converted Ellis’ two-way contract to a three-year deal towards the end of the 2023-24 NBA season.
The University of Alabama product averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this past season with the Kings while playing in 80 games – starting in 28 of them.
Ellis also has shown an ability to knock down the long ball for Sacramento, shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range in all three of his seasons with the Kings – most recently shooting 43.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Ellis’ defensive tenacity has made him a fan-favorite in Sacramento and has helped keep him on the floor for the Kings while covering some of the opposing team’s top offensive weapons.
The 6-foot-5 guard also averaged 1.5 steals per game last season, and his 121 total steals were good for fifth-most in the league.
While the decision comes as a surprise to some fans due to the fact that Ellis now will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Kings still could sign the guard to a contract extension to avoid him testing free agency in 2026.
After falling short in their first Eastern Conference Finals in a quarter century, the Knicks are looking for any means of improvement to overcome that hurdle next year, including firing their head coach days into their offseason. With free agency just around the corner, New York has a chance to bolster their depth, albeit with limited options at their disposal.
Their biggest weapon? The $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception. They’ll have a shot at convincing a needle-moving role player to sign for that before having to resort to veteran minimum deals.
Here are the Knicks top five realistic targets at the taxpayer MLE figure:
Chris Paul
This may be a stretch at the Knicks’ price point, but what a dream acquisition this would be for the perfect playoff run. Even if Paul is well past his prime, he still brings an ultra steady presence to the offense, jump shooting, defense, plus high-IQ craftiness and agitation to the court.
He’s coming off an 82-game season in which he shot 37.7 percent from three and averaged 7.4 assists to 1.6 turnovers. He’s been in the biggest of games and can both lead bench units and play alongside Jalen Brunson.
Al Horford
A solution to their frontcourt depth, Horford may not be attainable by the Knicks for the taxpayer MLE, but would be a worthy target if so. He can play both center as a stretch five or give Karl-Anthony Towns some size at the four position.
Horford shot 40 percent from three in last year’s playoffs and is also a veteran of deep runs. Already having a relationship with KAT is a plus and in terms of sheer talent, there aren’t many better options on the table.
Luke Kennard
Giving the wings added depth and the Knicks a top-flight shooting option, Kennard would be a nice diversifying piece in a position of need. His career 44 percent clip from three is nearly unmatched across the league, and this rotation is missing some of that pure shooting ability.
It also got stuck overplaying the starting wings with mostly guards backing them up, so Kennard provides better optionality in the rotation. There’s a chance someone swoops in at a higher bid, but if not Kennard should be in New York’s sights.
Dennis Schroder
Schroder is a highly dependable bench point guard that pestered the Knicks in the first round of last year’s playoffs. He’ll consistently bring you pesky defense and paint touches, and would be a clear upgrade over many of New York’s bench guards from last season.
He’s had many postseason battles and isn’t afraid to get into it with foes while averaging double-digit scoring at every stop along his career. The prevailing rumor has him ending up in Sacramento, but perhaps the Knicks being closer to contention give them an edge.
Malcolm Brogdon
Another veteran guard that can bring the Knicks solid production off the bench, Brogdon toiled away through multiple injuries in Washington last year and is due for a bounce-back year with a higher-purpose team. He’s a career 39 percent shooter from deep and still only 32 years old, just two seasons removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year.
Injuries have been his biggest hurdle, but if he can stay healthy in a limited role, he’d be a big boost at this contract level.
Another professional athlete could be in trouble over sports betting.
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office over gambling allegations for NBA games, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Sunday.
“We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.
Beasley, 28, is set to be a free agent on Monday after a breakout season with the Pistons. He averaged 16.2 points and didn’t miss a single game for Detroit, which had a drastic turnaround with Beasley leading the second unit.
Over nine NBA seasons since being drafted in 2016, Beasley has played for the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023), Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24) and Pistons (2024-25). In 2021, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail over a felony charge of threats of violence and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.
Charania reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42 million contract to bring him back to Detroit. Those talks reportedly are on pause as the investigation takes place, but Beasley is free to negotiate with other teams starting Monday at 6 p.m. ET.
“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
The probe into Beasley comes more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. He eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.
This past season, Terry Rozier — then of the Charlotte Hornets — was under investigation for activity related to unusual betting patterns surrounding him in a March 2023 game. Now with the Miami Heat, Rozier hasn’t been charged with any crime or faced sanctions from the NBA.
Another professional athlete could be in trouble over sports betting.
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigated by the U.S. District Attorney’s office over gambling allegations for NBA games, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Sunday.
“We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.
Beasley, 28, is set to be a free agent on Monday after a breakout season with the Pistons. He averaged 16.2 points and didn’t miss a single game for Detroit, which had a drastic turnaround with Beasley leading the second unit.
Over nine NBA seasons since being drafted in 2016, Beasley has played for the Denver Nuggets (2016-20), Minnesota Timberwolves (2020-22), Utah Jazz (2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023), Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24) and Pistons (2024-25). In 2021, he was sentenced to 120 days in jail over a felony charge of threats of violence and was eventually suspended for 12 games by the NBA.
Charania reported that Beasley and the Pistons were in “serious talks” on a three-year, $42 million contract to bring him back to Detroit. Those talks reportedly are on pause as the investigation takes place, but Beasley is free to negotiate with other teams starting Monday at 6 p.m. ET.
“An investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told ESPN. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”
The probe into Beasley comes more than a year after Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA over prop bet investigations. He eventually pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud, with sentencing set for this December as prosecutors estimate he could get up to four years in prison.
This past season, Terry Rozier — then of the Charlotte Hornets — was under investigation for activity related to unusual betting patterns surrounding him in a March 2023 game. Now with the Miami Heat, Rozier hasn’t been charged with any crime or faced sanctions from the NBA.
The Warriors will exercise their team options on former second-round draft picks Quinten Post and Gui Santos for the 2025-26 NBA season, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Sunday, citing a source.
The Warriors will exercise their team options on Gui Santos and Quinten Post for next season, per source. Santos is on the books for $2.2 million (non-guaranteed) and Post at $1.9 million. Pair of late second round picks who have made a rotation impact.
Both Santos and Post found consistent minutes with Golden State this past season, as Santos played more than 13 minutes per game at forward for the Warriors and Post played just over 16 minutes at center.
The Warriors selected Santos in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft before joining the G League Santa Cruz Warriors. He averaged 14.3 points per game with the developmental team during his two years there.
In 2023-24, Santos split time between Santa Cruz and Golden State before getting a full season with the NBA squad.
The 23-year-old Brazilian played 56 games with the Warriors in 2024-25 and averaged 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Santos will cost the Warriors about $2.2 million in 2025-26 with $225,000 being guaranteed on Sept. 25 and the entirety being guaranteed on Jan. 10, 2026, according to Spotrac.
As for the 7-foot center Post, he also was taken by the Warriors in the second round, but of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Boston College product played 42 games for Golden State in 2024-25 and made 14 starts while averaging 8.1 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Post’s ability to stretch the floor was incredibly beneficial for the Warriors as the big man shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range.
While the Warriors have some question marks still ahead in NBA free agency, reportedly exercising Santos and Post likely was an easy decision given the cost and the fact that both provided good minutes for coach Steve Kerr’s team last season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has reportedly decided to pick up his Sixers player option.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that Oubre is exercising his option to return to the Sixers for the 2025-26 season. According to Spotrac, his option is for approximately $8.4 million.
The 29-year-old wing has been a consistent Sixers starter the last two years. He averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in the 2024-25 campaign. Three-point shooting remained a significant weakness for Oubre, who went 29.3 percent beyond the arc.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse appreciated Oubre’s effort during the Sixers’ dismal, perpetually shorthanded season.
“I think the first thing about Kelly is he’s out there every night playing hard,” Nurse said on Feb. 26. “He’s out there every night competing and playing hard, and that goes a long way, first and foremost. I think he continues … to get to the front of the rim. With or without certain guys, his priority of being a scorer elevates for us. I think he continues to improve at that. I like that part of his game where he’s getting to the front of the rim and finishing.
“And he competes, man. Nobody can question the effort that he’s giving every single night.”
Oubre missed the Sixers’ final month of the season with a right knee injury but said at his exit interview that he felt “pretty good” and was “just looking forward to this offseason and attacking it head-on.”
He joins Andre Drummond as a Sixers veteran to exercise his player option in the lead-up to free agency, which officially starts Monday at 6 p.m. ET.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy,” Oubre said on April 13. “And I feel like I like to finish what I start, and I don’t feel complete.”
Rob Pelinka, left, the Lakers' general manager and president of basketball operations, and coach JJ Redick will have a new controlling owner in Mark Walter that they will answer to. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Now that you’re the majority owner of the Lakers, everyone is expecting you to whack their two most prominent leaders in hopes of transforming the basketball team into your baseball team, but you should instead initially act in terms your Dodgers would understand.
Agreed, this might be a tough call, and certainly there could be temptation to immediately can the two Lakers employees who most epitomize the incestuous decisions that have dragged the once-shining championship organization into dull mediocrity.
Pelinka, the president of basketball operations and general manager, was hired eight years ago because he was the agent and confidant of Kobe Bryant.
Redick, the head coach, was hired last summer because he was LeBron James’ podcast bro.
Neither man came to their current positions with strong qualifications. Both men were beneficiaries of a post-Jerry Buss culture in which daughter Jeanie would surround herself with friends and family.
It is a culture that led to outsized decision-making roles for the likes of Linda and Kurt Rambis. It is a culture that is diametrically opposed to the meritocracy that has made this town’s other glamour team so great.
Now that the Dodgers have basically swallowed the Lakers whole, it might be a foregone conclusion that Pelinka and Redick would be among the first to disappear.
Memo to Mark Walter:
Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Dodgers, recently became a majority stakeholder in the Lakers. (Emma McIntyre / Getty Images)
Hold up rounding third.
Both Pelinka and Redick have earned a chance to show their strengths in a new system in which there will certainly be increased scouting, advanced analytics and a new professionalism for an infrastructure that had been difficult for any official to succeed.
Ned Colletti was the Dodgers' general manager when Walter’s group bought the team in the spring of 2012. He lasted two more seasons, Guggenheim Partners pouring money into the team and giving him every chance to succeed before firing him.
Pelinka deserves at least half that chance.
Don Mattingly was the manager when Walter bought the team. He lasted four more seasons, finally parting ways after the 2015 season.
Redick deserves at least a portion of that leash.
Although both men have been viewed as overmatched both in this space and by NBA insiders across the landscape, each has done well enough to not be summarily beheaded the minute Walter walks through the door.
Start with Pelinka. You do know he has an NBA championship on his resume, right? While Alex Caruso dismissed the 2020 title as phony last week after he won another ring with Oklahoma City, that first one still counts, and Pelinka still deserves credit for overseeing it.
Yes, Pelinka is the villain who ruined everything by letting Caruso walk while gutting the title team to acquire Russell Westbrook. But he’s also perhaps the only executive in NBA history to acquire three players the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis.
He had lots of help there — Magic Johnson recruited James, and James recruited Davis, and Nico Harrison handed him Doncic — but still, he was the final cog in making it happen.
Pelinka also engineered the splendid undrafted free agent signing that was Austin Reaves, which led to the Lakers finishing this season as the third seed in the West.
You don’t fire a decision-maker the same year his rebuilt team finishes third in basketball’s most competitive neighborhood. You don’t fire a decision-maker two years after his team reached the Western Conference finals. And you certainly don’t fire a decision-maker until you know what’s happening with his best employee.
It seems clear that James is going to opt in to his $52.6 million contract this week and remain with the team — and son Bronny — for at least one more season. If that’s the case, then Pelinka should get the chance to add the rim protector he’s been seeking to maximize Doncic and give James one more opportunity at a ring.
However, if James unexpectedly turns down the money to seek better title opportunities elsewhere — not a bad decision for the Lakers, honestly — then the ensuing roster chaos will not be the right time to make a change at the top.
Either way, the situation is fluid enough that Pelinka should be allowed to see it through.
The same goes for Redick, who did an admirable job in his first regular season before melting down in the playoffs.
Granted, some would consider his first-round series game management against the Minnesota Timberwolves a fireable offense, particularly in Game 4 when he used the same five players for an entire second half. He didn’t do himself any favors when he later reacted to criticism of that decision by bristling at a reporter’s question before stalking away from a pregame news conference.
During the most important moments of the season, Redick was in over his head. But as he admitted, he’ll learn, he’ll grow, he’ll get better, and he did well enough during the regular season to believe him.
Redick coached one team before the arrival of Doncic and the departure of Davis. He coached another team afterward. He deftly handled both of those teams while smartly disarming the potentially divisive distraction that was Bronny. Redick also empowered Reaves to become a legitimate third threat before Reaves joined his coach in a playoff disappearing act.
All of which brings this surprisingly sugary piece to this upcoming week, the start of the NBA’s summer madness, and the pressure is on.
Like it or not, Pelinka and Redick are a pair now, a tandem joined by the appearance of a new owner with new expectations.
Pelinka needs to find a big man who can help carry them deep into the playoffs. No matter who Pelinka acquires, Redick has to scheme around Doncic and make it all work.
They won’t get many chances under a new Dodger regime that demands sustained success, but they deserve at least one chance to take advantage of the massive changes that this new ownership group will surely create in returning basketball’s greatest franchise to new glories.
Memo to Mark Walter:
Keep Pelinka's and Redick’s names in the lineup card.
