NBA Notes: Lakers, Rob Pelinka, Kings, Magic, coaching rumors

Lakers

The Lakers didn’t need much convincing after getting swept by Oklahoma City. They came away from the series believing they need more depth, more youth and probably a few more players capable of growing into meaningful roles.

According to Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register, general manager Rob Pelinka was especially impressed by Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, a 2024 second-round pick who began his career on a two-way deal and wound up averaging 22.5 points during the series against Los Angeles.

That, in many ways, became part of the lesson for the Lakers.

“There’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces,” Pelinka said during his end-of-season press conference. “We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades.”

The Lakers own the No. 25 overall pick and plan to hold workouts for more than 20 draft prospects. Pelinka said the organization wants to get younger, more athletic and more competitive, while continuing to prioritize basketball IQ and player development in the current salary-cap environment.

Kings

The Kings got started on the pre-draft process Friday, with much of the focus centered on their second-round selections at No. 34 and No. 45 overall.

Per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee, the Kings brought in a group largely made up of second-round or fringe draft prospects.

Among those participating were Emanuel Sharp of Houston, Maliq Brown of Duke, Keyshawn Hall of Auburn, Isaac McKneely of Louisville, Jaden Henley of Grand Canyon and Tre Carroll of Xavier.

Sharp later spoke with reporters about his skill set and what he believes he can bring to an NBA roster as Sacramento continues evaluating back-end draft options and possible undrafted additions.

Magic

The Magic continue to keep a pretty tight lid on their coaching search, but one name officially in the mix is Jeff Van Gundy.

After previous reports from Jake Fischer and Marc Stein linking Van Gundy to the opening, Stein confirmed the current Clippers assistant has interviewed for the position.

So far, there hasn’t been a ton of public movement tied to Orlando’s vacancy. That could mean the process is still in the early stages, or it could simply mean the Magic are operating quietly behind the scenes.

Former Bulls coach Billy Donovan has been viewed by some around the league as a possible frontrunner, while Sean Sweeney, currently an associate head coach with the Spurs, is also expected to interview.

One name that appears off the board is Darvin Ham. There had been some speculation connecting the former Lakers coach to Orlando, but reports over the weekend indicated Ham will remain with the Bucks as an assistant under new head coach Taylor Jenkins.