Lakers Plan Major Front-Office Expansion Under New Owner Mark Walter, Mirroring Dodgers Model
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The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to overhaul their basketball operations department this summer, aiming to replicate the robust front-office structure that has powered the Los Angeles Dodgers under owner Mark Walter, league sources told The Athletic.
Walter, who purchased a controlling stake in the Lakers from Jeanie Buss and her family last year, has overseen three World Series titles with the Dodgers in the past six seasons. His tenure in Major League Baseball has been defined by heavy investment in scouting, analytics and executive talent—an approach he now plans to import to the NBA franchise.
According to the report, the Lakers intend to hire “significant” personnel across a wide range of positions during the offseason, building what one rival executive called a “scary” infrastructure. The organization has operated with one of the league’s leanest front-office and scouting staffs in recent years, a factor many observers cite for the club’s struggles on the margins of roster construction.
General manager Rob Pelinka will remain at the top of basketball operations, but he is expected to receive support from a deeper bench of executives and specialists. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and former Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi have already been consulting for the Lakers, offering guidance on best practices in data analysis and talent evaluation.
While MLB lacks a salary cap—allowing Walter to commit significant funds to marquee free agents—the NBA’s cap limits such spending. Even so, the Lakers will enter the summer with considerable cap space and trade assets, making the caliber of incoming front-office hires crucial to maximizing those resources.
The planned expansion is designed to position the Lakers for sustained title contention, echoing the consistent success Walter’s Dodgers have enjoyed since he took control in 2012.
Source: Lakers Nation
