As the Los Angeles Lakers look to bolster their front office under owner Mark Walter, a new report has detailed the candidates they’re considering for prominent openings.
Report Reveals New Candidates for Lakers’ Front Office Openings
76ers, Heat Execs Among Those in the Running
According to a Saturday story by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Lakers’ search for front office help has led them to probe the staffs of rival contenders.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have expressed interest in several candidates for their front office openings, including Timberwolves assistant general manager Steve Senior, 76ers assistant general manager Prosper Karangwa, Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler, Jazz vice president of player personnel Bart Taylor, and others, league sources told HoopsHype.
“Senior passed on an offer from the Lakers and decided to remain with the Timberwolves. With the 76ers and Daryl Morey parting ways, Karangwa has received interest from the Lakers and Mavericks, HoopsHype has learned. Amsler has been with the Heat for 22 years, including winning three NBA championships in seven appearances. Taylor was previously the G League Executive of the Year with Utah’s Salt Lake City Stars.”
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Yaron Weitzman, the Lakers offered Senior to be their executive vice president of basketball operations, though the assistant GM elected to stay with the team he’s been with since 2022.
How The Other Candidates Fit into Lakers’ Vision
As for the new names, Karangwa, Amsler and Taylor all rose through the NBA’s ranks in similar fashions—from scouting positions to key front office roles, all while at some point leading their team’s G League affiliates (Karangwa with the Delaware Blue Coats, Amsler with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Taylor with the aforementioned Stars). Their storied careers and strong track records in player development seem to align perfectly with the Lakers’ goals.
President/GM Rob Pelinka revealed on May 12 that the Lakers began interviewing candidates for two assistant GM positions—one focused on “player, draft and evaluation processes,” the other on the “strategy side” concerning “cap analytics and data.” Karangwa, Amsler and Taylor all fit the criteria for first AGM position, though the Lakers could also bump any of them to a higher-ranking role, as they attempted to do with Senior.
The Last Word on the Lakers’ Front Office
The Lakers’ new look under Walter comes with intriguing plans for the front office, between expanded roles on the basketball and business sides and increased collaboration with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though the team usually opts for radio silence when it comes to executive decisions, the progress over these potential candidates is worth monitoring this summer.
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