Pelinka Calls the LeBron Exit Amicable, Smart Calls the…

By the Lakers Nightly Desk · Friday, September 25

Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick sat for their first media day of the post-LeBron era Wednesday and called the split a thing of the past, closed out, in Pelinka's word, amicably. Outside that room, a different story landed: Marcus Smart says the Lakers' summer offer was disrespectful, and he took the Rockets' money instead.

Luka Doncic of the Lakers — Luka Doncic. Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Podium Line

Pelinka and Redick held court Wednesday, and the message was continuity dressed as reinvention. ESPN's Ben Golliver reported Pelinka touting what he called a post-LeBron overhaul as the roster resets around Doncic, while Dave McMenamin wrote that Pelinka called the exit done amicably. Redick told reporters, per Lakers Nation's Corey Hansford, that the pieces on this roster fit together for the first time in his tenure here.

Money Left on the Table

Not every free agent bought the pitch. Silver Screen and Roll's Jackson Frank reported that Marcus Smart turned down more money from the Lakers to sign with Houston, calling the offer disrespectful. What the Lakers added instead this month came cheaper: Chase Ross and Meechie Johnson on Exhibit 10 deals, depth signings that don't move a $201.3 million payroll already past the league's $200.4 million threshold.

Camp on the Clock

No game has been played. The Lakers sit at 0-0 until preseason opens October 5 at Sacramento, with three more exhibitions before the regular season begins October 21 at home against Golden State on ESPN. Doncic heads into that opener as the unquestioned center of the operation. The podium didn't answer whether a reset described in press-conference language turns into wins once the games start counting.

Did Marcus Smart really turn down the Lakers?

Silver Screen and Roll reported that Smart chose the Rockets over a larger role with the Lakers, calling the Lakers' offer disrespectful.

When do the Lakers play their first game of 2026-27?

Preseason opens October 5 at Sacramento, and the regular season opener is October 21 at home against Golden State on ESPN.

By the Lakers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.