Lakers hire longtime Heat executive Eric Amsler as assistant GM

The Lakers have added another experienced voice beneath longtime head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka. Whether that eventually means anything for Pelinka is a question for another day.

For now, Eric Amsler is joining Los Angeles as an assistant general manager after more than two decades with the Heat, the Lakers announced. He will oversee pro and draft scouting and player development.

Amsler began as a Miami intern in 2004 and worked his way through several scouting and personnel positions. He also served as general manager of the Sioux Falls Skyforce and was named the 2023-24 G League Executive of the Year.

He joins Rohan Ramadas, hired in May, as the Lakers’ other assistant GM. Ramadas handles strategy, analytics and salary-cap matters.

So, no, there is no indication the Lakers are pushing Pelinka aside. In fact, Pelinka said after last season that he intended to hire two assistant GMs with precisely those areas of responsibility.

Still, this is the Lakers, and the franchise recently agreed to be sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. New owners sometimes like new organizational structures. They also tend to take inventory of everyone already seated near the top.

L.A. also hired Keith D’Amelio as director of integrated performance systems. D’Amelio most recently worked for the WNBA’s New York Liberty and previously spent time with the Raptors, Celtics, Stanford and Nike.

Nothing ominous for Pelinka, then. Probably. But adding qualified people to the room rarely hurts, particularly with Luka Doncic entering his first full season as the face of the franchise.