Rob Pelinka Talks Lakers Offseason Priority Other Than Big Man

The Los Angeles Lakers' franchise-reshaping 2024-25 season run came to an embarrassing end at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday. L.A. got booted in just five games by the underdog Minnesota Timberwolves, who greatly outflanked the Lakers in perimeter and post play.

During an end-of-season presser, Lakers general manager and team president Rob Pelinka revealed that he will be focusing on two specific roster areas to improve upon this offseason, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

More Los Angeles Lakers News: Shaquille O'Neal Says Lakers Won’t be Contenders for Devastating Reason

Center, of course, is the obvious position of concern. First-year head coach JJ Redick's confidence in starting five Jaxson Hayes eroded over the course of the series, to the point where Hayes was a healthy scratch in the Lakers' decisive 103-96 Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves.

The 7-footer averaged 1.8 points on 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from the foul line, 2.0 rebounds and 0.3 blocks in the four games he did play, during which he suited up for 7.8 minutes per. Hayes never played more than nine minutes in any of the four bouts.

Center Maxi Kleber, who had been shelved from a foot surgery since arriving in L.A. as part of the Luka Doncic trade, suited up for five minutes in Game 5, scoring two points and doing little else.

More Los Angeles Lakers News: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves Waste No Time Taking Shots At Lakers

Otherwise, Redick played forwards Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith as his small-ball frontcourt.

Accordingly, four-time Defensive Player of the Year Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert took advantage of this deficit at center and nabbed a 27-point, 24-rebound double-double. The 7-foot-1 big man feasted on the Lakers' lack of rim protection sans Hayes.

Hayes will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and now seems unlikely to return — at least not for anything more than a veteran's minimum.

Beyond the center position, Pelinka says an offseason priority is solidifying L.A.'s defensive core at the wing position
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 1, 2025

Per McMenamin, Pelinka is also looking to shore up the team's defense along the wing.

The Lakers struggled mightily to contain the Timberwolves' perimeter players, especially in transition.

Watch five-time All-NBA First Team guard Luka Doncic get utterly embarrassed by three-time All-Star Minnesota shooting guard Anthony Edwards on a baseline drive, before the 6-foot-4 guard shoots over the 6-foot-6 Doncic and the 6-foot-8 Hachimura in the paint for a gritty conversion.

that's so tough Æ. pic.twitter.com/iiid43FXnp
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 1, 2025

All-Defensive Team Timberwolves small forward Jaden McDaniels enjoyed a career-best series against L.A. Funnily enough, McDaniels was initially selected by Pelinka with the No. 28 pick out of Washington in the 2020 NBA Draft, before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and ultimately Minnesota.

Edwards, though, was the biggest beneficiary of the Lakers' lack of formidable wing defenders on Wednesday night.

TRANSITION. pic.twitter.com/kroycGlsKR
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 1, 2025

Finney-Smith, who along with Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent is one of the Lakers' three good perimeter defenders, has a $15.4 million player option for 2025-26.

How Pelinka navigates Finney-Smith's future (will Finney-Smith decline the option in pursuit of a longer-term deal, for instance?) could have significant ripple effects on his pursuit of more defensive wing help.

More Los Angeles Lakers News:

Timberwolves Coach Calls Out Officiating in Lakers Series

Lakers Could Face Uncomfortable Offseason Questions with Early Playoff Exit

Western Conference Executive Compares Lakers' Austin Reaves to Undrafted Hall of Famer

Lakers Linked to $100 Million Blazers Star as Summer Trade Target

For the latest Los Angeles Lakers news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Lakers On SI.