Before Rob Pelinka was introduced as the Lakers’ General Manager on Friday, he made sure to spend some time talking with the leader of his roster: head coach Luke Walton.
After speaking with Pelinka, Walton came away happy with the direction that he wants to take the franchise. In particular, Walton agreed that “constant communication” between the front office and coaching staff will be crucial moving forward.
“It’s important that we can both be honest with each other, even if we don’t agree,” Walton said at Saturday’s practice. “I’ll tell him what I’m seeing from down here. He’s going to tell me what he’s seeing. We’ll talk about it.
“If it’s a basketball decision, I’ll have the ultimate say. If it’s a personnel thing, he’ll have the ultimate say.”
Pelinka was highly complimentary of Walton at Friday’s presser, saying that the Lakers “could not have a better coach” for the task of building the team’s young core.
While Pelinka and Walton look to lead the franchise into the future, a familiar face from each man’s past was there to offer his support.
Kobe Bryant — Pelinka’s former client and Walton’s former teammate — was in attendance on Friday. He believes that his old agent is the right man for the job.
“He just said, ‘You’re gonna love working together,’” Walton said. “He said (Pelinka) works his tail off. He’s really smart. He said it’s gonna be a great thing having him in here with the group.”
Another for Nwaba
Earlier that morning, the Lakers officially signed D-League call-up David Nwaba to second 10-day contract.
Walton credited this to Nwaba’s trademark defense, saying that he “brings a whole other level that we’re looking for” on that end.
Meanwhile, Nwaba hopes to show off more of his skill set over the next week and a half.
“I’m happy that they see something in me and are giving me another opportunity,” Nwaba said.