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As the Los Angeles Lakers navigate a change of ownership, they remain committed to building the best possible environment for success. While things are a bit murky at the highest level, GM Rob Pelinka’s authority remains unquestioned, and his front office staff just got bigger ahead of a pivotal season. According to a report by Shams Charania, Pelinka just hired Eric Amsler as an assistant GM. He previously worked as the VP of player personnel for the Heat, but now he’ll be working to help the Lakers build a contender around Luka Doncic. The hire fulfills Pelinka’s promise to expand the front office following the team’s internal reshuffling. “The Los Angeles Lakers are hiring Miami Heat vice president of player personnel Eric Amsler as an assistant general manager,” reported Shams Charania on X. “Amsler – who spent over 22 years in the Heat organization starting as an intern and working his way up in various scouting, personnel, and G League roles – joins Rohan Ramadas as assistant GMs under president Rob Pelinka.” With Jeanie Buss in charge, the Lakers were notably behind the competition in terms of internal structure, resources, and chain of command. Acting as both the President of Basketball Operations and the General Manager, Pelinka had almost full, unchecked power, but he didn’t have the same resources or connections other teams did. But when Mark Walter took over, he set to work on restructuring the organization, enabling Pelinka to add more help in the office. His first hire was Rohan Ramadas, who joined the Pelicans in 2024 as senior director of analytics and innovation. Eric Amsler comes from the Heat, an organization known for its class, culture, and history of success. He was initially hired in 2004 as an intern before rising through the ranks to become GM of the Skyforce (Heat’s G League affiliate). He helped them achieve consistent success during his tenure, even earning G League Executive of the Year for his efforts. It’s unclear what drew Pelinka to Amsler, specifically, but he brings decades of experience from one of the best-run organizations in the league. By bringing him on board, the Lakers are making it clear how they want to operate: with purpose, meticulous planning, and strategic alignment. It’s still too early to see how this upgraded front office will impact the Lakers, but we could see them get more active on the trade front, since there are so many more voices involved in the decision-making process. While there were some questions about how the incoming owners (Bob Iger and Josh Kuschner) would change the front office plans, they remain committed to expanding the Lakers’ basketball operations. It couldn’t come at a better time, either, with Luka Doncic eager and ready to lead the team to glory. At this point, what happens next is anyone’s guess, but the Lakers are showing signs of a team that’s headed in the right direction. If they can just keep the momentum going, it may only be a matter of time before the Lakers are back on top of the basketball world.