Why did the Lakers hire Tony Bennett?

Lakers add Tony Bennett to bolster draft work

The Los Angeles Lakers have brought former Virginia head coach Tony Bennett into the organization as an NBA draft advisor to aid Rob Pelinka and the front office. Bennett, a widely respected college coach and multiple Coach of the Year recipient, steps into a front-office advisory role focused squarely on the draft and scouting process.

This hire reflects a strategic shift by the Lakers: they are expanding their talent evaluation and player-development pipeline with a veteran voice known for finding and developing college prospects. Bennett’s background—long-tenured success at Virginia, a reputation for teaching defensive principles and player growth—gives the Lakers a resource who can assess college-age players’ readiness and fit for the NBA environment.

What Bennett is expected to contribute:

• Scouting insight: In-depth evaluations of college prospects, with an emphasis on character, basketball IQ and system fit.
• Development perspective: Assessing how prospects translate to pro coaching, and advising on which traits project into NBA roles.
• Process improvement: Helping refine the Lakers’ draft board, workouts and interviews to better identify long-term contributors.

For the Lakers, the appointment is both symbolic and practical. It signals a willingness to widen the scouting aperture and to lean on proven coaching expertise when choosing draft targets. The move won’t change short-term roster construction overnight, but it aims to improve the team’s decision-making ahead of the draft and in future draft classes—an area the Lakers have emphasized as they balance veteran competition with longer-term roster building.