When Mark Walter purchased majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers, it was understood that he would eventually bring in some of his own people to help run the organization.
He wasted no time doing that by hiring Lon Rosen to be the organization’s president of business operations, replacing Tim Harris who is leaving the organization at the end of this season.
One thing that seemingly won’t be changing is Rob Pelinka running basketball operations as he recently revealed that he and team Governor Jeanie Buss will remain in their current roles.
That was confirmed by Rosen, who spoke to the media for the first time and stated that Pelinka will remain president of basketball operations, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
New Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen told reporters this evening that Rob Pelinka will remain as the team’s president of basketball operations and while Earvin “Magic” Johnson will surely be around the franchise, no official title is planned for him with LAL
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 25, 2026
Rosen used to be the long-time agent of Magic Johnson, who has also worked with him in the Dodgers organization the past handful of years. Because of that, it’s not surprising to see that Johnson will continue to be around the Lakers, even if it’s not in an official capacity.
Johnson, of course, has a checkered past with Pelinka dating back to when they ran the front office together from 2017-19 before the former resigned.
According to recent reports, the Lakers are planning to model their front office after the Dodgers, which means they will likely make some additions this offseason, even if Pelinka will continue to be in charge.
Lon Rosen outlines goals in new role with Lakers
Lon Rosen expressed his excitement to be returning to the Lakers organization and outlined his goals in his new role.
“I’m beyond grateful to Jeanie and Mark for trusting me with this incredible opportunity,” said Rosen. “As everyone knows, the economics of the sports business are constantly changing – and they will continue to do so.
“But, at root, my job is a simple one: figuring out how to do right by our employees and our partners while ensuring that the Lakers continue to provide an unparalleled experience for our fans in Los Angeles and around the world. I look forward to working alongside Jeanie, Rob and the whole front-office team to make that happen.”
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