Rob Pelinka ‘agrees to contract extension with Lakers through 2026’ after hiring Darvin Ham as coach

Rob Pelinka has reportedly agreed to an extension with the Lakers as the team’s vice president of basketball operations, with the executive now set to be with the franchise through 2026.

Pelinka, who was known for being Kobe Bryant‘s agent prior to joining the Lakers, became the team’s general manager in 2017 before being promoted to his current role three years later.

The news of the contract extension was first reported by Yahoo! Sports.

Rob Pelinka has seen his stay with the Lakers organization extended until 2026

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Lakers for confirmation.

Pelinka has had quite the career in basketball, starring in his own right as a high school player in Illinois before playing at Michigan (in a reserve capacity) on their ‘Fab Five’ teams.

He would later become an agent instead of pursuing a pro career in Europe, going on to represent Bryant, James Harden and other stars.

Pelinka developed a close relationship with Bryant and referred to him as his ‘best friend’ after his passing in 2020.

Pelinka was extremely close with Kobe Bryant, and posed for a photo with his family during a retirement ceremony (above).

He was also the godfather to Bryant’s late daughter Gianna, who was with her dad (and seven others) when the helicopter they were in tragically crashed.

Pelinka has certainly made an impression as a Lakers executive.

The team signed LeBron James in free agency roughly 17 months after he joined as a  GM, and made a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis the following summer in 2019.

Pelinka (right) played basketball at Michigan before going onto a career in sports management

Davis and James led the Lakers to a title in the 2019-20 season.

More recently, the team brought back point guard Dennis Schroeder for a second stint and traded for defensive stopper Patrick Beverley.

Pelinka also oversaw the hiring of the team’s new head coach, Darvin Ham, whose contract is set to expire at the same time as Pelinka’s newly-extended deal.