The Los Angeles Lakers are a dreadful defensive team and failing to resolve that issue could cost Rob Pelinka his job. Thankfully, Pelinka is taking measures to make lasting changes on the defensive end of the floor by finally prioritizing the NBA Draft.
As relayed by Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers are bringing in former Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett to operate as a "draft advisor."
The Lakers have named former UVA men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett as a “draft advisor” to Rob Pelinka, the team announced pic.twitter.com/dcabPTsB5Q
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 25, 2026
It's a potentially stellar move that could have significant ramifications at the 2026 NBA Draft and in keeping Pelinka safe from the hot seat in Los Angeles.
Lakers hire NCAA champion head coach Tony Bennett as "draft advisor"
Bennett, 56, spent 18 seasons as a head coach at the collegiate level. He led the Washington State Cougars to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, amassing a 69-33 record overall and a 32-22 mark in conference play during his three years at the helm.
Bennett then took over as head coach at Virginia in 2009 and led the program to an extraordinary chapter that many have heralded as the university's golden age.
Bennett went 364-136 in 15 seasons at Virginia, leading the team to four different 30-win seasons. That includes an iconic 2018-19 campaign during which the Cavaliers went 35-3 and won the first and only NCAA championship in program history.
Bennett also led Virginia to two ACC Tournament championships, six ACC regular season titles, two Final Four appearances, three trips to the Elite Eight, and four Sweet 16 journeys.
Tony Bennett recruited and/or developed 11 NBA players as college coach
Perhaps most applicably, Bennett sent 11 players that he coached to the NBA. The biggest names among them include Malcolm Brogdon, De'Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, Trey Murphy III, and future Hall of Fame inductee Klay Thompson, who played his first of three college seasons for Bennett.
With a clear eye for talent and an in-depth knowledge of how to develop said players to the point of helping them realize their potential, Bennett could prove invaluable.
In addition to having an excellent eye for talent, Bennett is a defensive wizard from a schematic perspective. If his role is to identify players who thrive in that capacity, then the Lakers' longstanding issues on the defensive end of the floor could finally be resolved.
If that proves to be the case, then Pelinka would have a much easier time avoiding the hot seat at the start of the Luka Doncic era.
Doncic, along with Austin Reaves and LeBron James, provides the Lakers with unrivaled offensive firepower at the top of the proverbial hierarchy. The lack of ideal wing defense, rim protection, and general resistance at the point of attack has unfortunately offset much of the progress they've made.
Thankfully, the Lakers are trusting Bennett to help them resolve their defensive woes while reprioritizing the NBA Draft.