Rob Pelinka to Maintain Role as GM After Lakers Reveal They Will Not Hire New President

Earvin "Magic" Johnson & Rob Pelinka Los Angeles Lakers Media Availability
Earvin "Magic" Johnson & Rob Pelinka Los Angeles Lakers Media Availability / Meg Oliphant

The disaster that has been the Lakers' offseason has taken another turn. After Magic Johnson stepped down, the Lakers relieved Luke Walton of his head coaching duties and replaced him with Frank Vogel. All eyes then turned to GM Rob Pelinka, with many fans calling for him to be ousted from the organization.

Well, it seems that won't be the case.

The Lakers revealed plans to keep Rob Pelinka in his current role as general manager. The team also is no longer seeking a replacement president for Johnson. As part of his duties, Pelinka will now report directly to ownership.

Pelinka has somehow escaped from this mess unscathed and will still be a key decision maker for the Lakers. While recent rumors had suggested that Kurt Rambis had a large say in things, it appears that Pelinka has managed to sway the trust of ownership back in his favor.

Pelinka needs to make a big splash this offseason, landing some key free agents and perhaps using that No. 4 overall pick as trade bait. The Lakers need to reach the postseason this year, by any means necessary, and its up to Pelinka to restore greatness to the organization.

With LeBron in town, Pelinka needs to ensure that the star player is content with the direction of the organization. After this season, we've all seen the turmoil that can come with a disappointing season in one of the biggest markets in sports.