Ex-Lakers champion becomes latest to take swipe at Rob Pelinka

Jun 6, 2022; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka speaks before introducing head coach Darvin Ham at UCLA Health Training Center Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

One former Los Angeles Lakers champion is jumping on the Rob Pelinka Hate Train.

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma recently spoke to local reporters in the Philippines during his trip to the Asian country to host a basketball clinic. During his media availability, Kuzma spoke on his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers (from 2017-21) and took a swipe at Lakers GM Rob Pelinka in the process.

“I think it’s tough because they kind of gave up on me,” said Kuzma of the Lakers, per Nicole Ganglani of Silver Screen and Roll. “They gave up on that [2020 championship] team too a little too early. [Pelinka] panicked a little bit. But you know in the NBA, things happen fast, you never know what’s going to happen next. It’s always like a revolving door so we had a tough, tough stretch so it happens.”

Kuzma, now 29, was a homegrown Laker who developed into a near 20-ppg scorer for the team and played a pivotal role off the bench for them during that 2020 NBA title run. But it was Pelinka who was responsible for trading Kuzma to Washington in 2021 as part of the Lakers’ very ill-fated move for Russell Westbrook.

Along with Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Danny Green, and Dwight Howard were among the key pieces from that championship team who also found themselves off the roster less than one calendar year later. Though the Lakers did make it to the Western Conference Finals in 2023, they still haven’t come anywhere truly close to title contention since that 2020 run.

Kuzma is still doing very well for himself these days on an individual level. He averaged a 22-7-4 line for the Wizards last season and is in the middle of a cushy four-year, $90 million contract with the team. But it seems Kuzma agrees with the recent chorus of voices slamming Pelinka for botching the Lakers’ championship window. Kuzma’s old Lakers teammate Howard recently made some similar remarks about Pelinka that even a former Lakers assistant coach expressed agreement with.