Rob Pelinka Highlights Roster “Optionality” Ahead of Lakers’ 2025-26 Season
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El Segundo, Calif., Sept. 25, 2025 — Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said maintaining “optionality” under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement will guide the team’s roster decisions as the 2025-26 campaign approaches.
Speaking at the UCLA Health Training Center one week before training camp, Pelinka stressed that avoiding the league’s tax aprons is critical to keeping the franchise flexible.
“If you get trapped above the aprons, over the aprons, deep into them, you lose your optionality,” Pelinka told reporters. “We have been very disciplined and intentional on how we put the roster and cap together to lean into that optionality.”
The Lakers enter the season with Luka Doncic set to lead the team and LeBron James still on the roster. More than half of the current squad is scheduled to reach free agency next summer, a circumstance Pelinka views as both a challenge and an opportunity.
Pelinka said the front office will monitor the first 20 to 25 games before determining whether changes are necessary. “If there is a move to be made, we have the optionality to look at it, study it, and decide if it helps our team,” he said, adding that short-term contracts could be extended if the players prove valuable.
The executive also noted that absorbing long-term salary is not off the table if it strengthens the club’s championship chances. “The goal remains the same, to put Lakers players on the court that can try to win this team a championship,” he stated.
Pelinka confirmed the Lakers are willing to include a future first-round pick in a trade if it leads to “sustained Lakers excellence” and improves title odds. The team holds one movable first-round selection under current league rules.
Training camp opens next week, with preseason play to follow as Los Angeles prepares for its first full season with Doncic at the helm.
Source: LakersNation.com
