Lakers Front Office Blaming LeBron & Klutch Sports for Disastrous Season
Perhaps Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is a big Kanye West fan because he and the LA front office seems to be Kanye's song, featuring John Legend, "Blame Game" to heart.
According to a recent article by Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus, the Lakers front office believes most of the onus for the team's poor roster falls on Klutch Sports.
"But James certainly has a strong influence on the Lakers' decision-making. Multiple sources indicate the team's front office is internally blaming pressure from Klutch Sports Group (representing both James and Davis) for Westbrook."
This flies in the face of Pelinka's quotes from his press conference after the team unceremoniously fired head coach Frank Vogel and missed the playoffs (quotes via The Athletic's Bill Oram).
“I’m the one who leads the basketball operations department, and will take ultimate accountability for the roster decisions that are made.”
Apparently, Pelinka is not taking ultimate accountability.
Pincus' report is just further evidence that the Lakers front office is a dysfunctional business unit. Blaming your superstars for transactions you signed off is bad for business.
Especially when LeBron is up for a contract extension this August.
One day, the general manager says he takes "ultimate accountability" for roster decisions and then, weeks later, it's LeBron's and Davis' sports agency's fault.
LeGM has always put pressure on front offices to bend to his will. Sometimes his roster requests are successful, but there's plenty of evidence to suggest that they don't always come up aces.
Keeping LeBron, the Lakers franchise superstar, satisfied is important, but so is having the resolve to tell him "No".
Pincus' report is sure to ruffle feathers and now, the Lakers front office will have to mend the fence with Klutch, LeBron, and Davis before they plunge deeper into their head coaching search, free agency, and explore trade options for Westbrook.
The Lakers front office seems to be living by John Legend's refrain.
Let's play the blame game for sure.
