To quote Breaking Bad, the Lakers’ best course would be to “tread lightly.” In the wake of the coup de L.A. on Tuesday, Magic Johnson has taken over as head of basketball operations. The reaction has been ... varied.
On one hand, Johnson takes over a regime that had failed miserably to return the team to its former glory. Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak alienated Phil Jackson, hired Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Byron Scott, and whiffed on marquee free agents and went big on mediocre ones. The team has put together the worst stretch in team history.
The question is whether Magic, who has never shown any real aptitude for running team operations and is a relic from a different time, is prepared to handle things. He brings clout, that’s for certain, and that can help with free agency. But he needs a steady hand. As CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter noted:
But that is a dangerous seat in which to sit, where blame comes fast and merciless. The key is to possess the right allies. Magic is one. But the deputy he needs -- a fully empowered general manager like Sam Presti, Neil Olshey, RC Buford, Masai Ujiri, Bob Myers, whoever on that level could be lured to L.A. -- is a difficult hire if the job description is right. It’ll be impossible unless the job is perfect, which would include Magic knowing his lane.
The Lakers put that steady hand next to Johnson on Tuesday, hiring former agent Rob Pelinka just hours after Johnson’s introductory press conference. Pelinka brings a wealth of knowledge about the league and its inner workings, along with clout as having managed superstars. It’s a smart hire. But Pelinka enters with as much inexperience in the position as Johnson brings, and both are entering their jobs with just hours before the deadline.
Both Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss had indicated a quiet trade deadline forecast for the team in recent weeks. But the upheaval of the front office, reportedly linked to their failure to negotiate a trade for DeMarcus Cousins, could throw that plan out the window. Johnson himself revealed at his press conference that he’s already been on the phone with multiple GMs and openly discussed trade discussions for Lou Williams. It’s clear that both Jeanie Buss and Johnson are eager to right what they feel are the wrongs made under Jim Buss these last few years, and without a clear superstar on the roster, that young core of D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson may be just that: a bunch of young guys.
If the Lakers want to get a move on with their overhaul, the trade deadline represents an enormous opportunity. There are real impact players on the market: Jimmy Butler (though Chicago is playing its usual blood-from-stone strategy), Andre Drummond, and Brook Lopez are all available to at least discussions. However, there has to be concern of the Lakers making moves just to make moves. At his introductory press conference, Johnson said he wants to be careful with the rebuilding effort, but an unproven new regime, with less than 48 hours to go and a young roster with no discernible superstar is a recipe for something that could set the franchise back if they step in the wrong direction.
Right now, the only real trade talks are for Williams. One league source told CBS Sports on Tuesday that bidding for Williams may tail off because enough teams have called to generate a market for him greater than his overall value. The source said several teams were looking at pursuing alternative wing options. Other than that, the Lakers have two veterans on expensive deals who aren’t part of their future in Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov. L.A. may try and attach them to a Williams deal or attach second-rounders to move them off the books and clear cap space.
As for the youngsters, Clarkson and Randle seem more likely to be moved than Russell and Ingram. Clarkson is on a manageable deal and is basically the same player statistically he was last season. Randle is the interesting one. He plays hard every game and has shown flashes, but has real limitations. If the Lakers can find a superstar, Randle could be used as the young prospect to add to a bevy of assets to lure him.
However, Johnson, to his credit, publicly said he’s been rebuffing offers for any of the Lakers’ core. That’s a good thing. The team needs to stay young, grow, and go from there. But if a tempting deal comes along, the Lakers could likely be persuaded and doing so would need a delicate handling given how precarious their position is in this rebuild.
The most likely scenario is that the Lakers get through this deadline without a major move, pull off a small asset collection deal for Williams, and then get their sights set on the big picture. But Lakers fans should be sweating the next 48 hours. The Lakers have an inexperienced hand in charge of a very expensive ship, in the midst of some very active waters. Steady as she goes, Magic. Steady as she goes.
