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After five consecutive seasons of less than 500 and playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers have reached the summer that could change everything. The president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, said Tuesday that he was very late to do it.
It's time for the Lakers to start again in the superstar business
This has been the plan since the plan changed. As soon as Jeanie Buss raised Johnson, the legend of the franchise and hired former agent Rob Pelinka as the new Lakers general manager, he took over the reins from Mitch Kupchak and his brother Jim. At the same time, the Lakers in the summer of 2018 highlighted the opportunity to reinvigorate an iconic glamor franchise fallen into turmoil.
This "restructuring" of the February 2017 front office came about three years after Jim Buss publicly declared that if "in three or four years" the Lakers were not "back at the top". Conference, arguing for a championship, "then he was going to" resign, because that means I failed. Jeanie said repeatedly that she intended to keep Jim at his word, which is what she did by handing over the franchise to Magic, who said almost immediately. that the goal of Los Angeles was to keep its balance sheet clean enough in the short term to be a major player in the free agency in the summer of 2018, when the Lakers was lucky enough to have a good deal of money. open enough salary cap space to land two maximum free-wage veteran agents that would serve as the foundation for that golden future hoped for.
Well, we're here … and there was Magic on Tuesday at the Lakers press conference to introduce rookies Moe Wagner and Svi Mykhailiuk, who set their schedule:
Magic Johnson reiterated that he would not force anything into a free agency and that it is very clear that he feels no pressure as he heads for this vital free agency. pic.twitter.com/h0NkBldSUw
– Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) June 26, 2018
Just to be clear on the line Magic Johnson drew today:
"It's going to be a summer for the Lakers, this summer and next summer, if I can not deliver, I'll retire myself, she will not have to fired me, I'll walk away from there, because I can not do this job. "
– Bill Oram (@billoram) June 26, 2018
Dr. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com:
"[…] C & # 39; [about] Two summers, "said Johnson when asked if it will be a failure if the Lakers do not land a max star like LeBron James or Paul George in the free agency next month." We do not know what the people will decide. And we can not control that, so if the guys decide not to come here, it is not a failure, we look to next summer.
"Next summer, if no one comes and I sit here like that, then it's a failure, but if you judge us a summer, it's ridiculous." So a lot of guys do not should not be in their roles, because if we count on a summer for the Lakers, we have problems. "
"You have to give us time," continued Johnson. "… As I told you before I took the job and when I took the job, it's going to be a two-summer thing for the Lakers." This summer and summer next, that's all.If I can not deliver, I'll retire. [team controlling owner Jeanie Buss] will not have to fire me, I'll get away from it because [then] I can not do this job. "
Magic Johnson has just given himself an extremely large ultimatum
Well! It's never said that Magic does not want to put the blame on his own shoulders, or that he's not looking for the opportunity to succeed under pressure … even when he does not seem that someone else imposes it on him:
As for the ultimatum that Magic Johnson has launched today, no one to whom I spoke with the Lakers knew that he was going to do it. Just chalk up to its "competitiveness".
– Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 26, 2018
Magic may have been caught up in the moment, but the window he's identified is the one we've all been waiting for from the Lakers for over a year. The Lakers occupy nearly $ 60 million in salary cap space during a summer when most NBA members are running out of money after spending in 2016, and where many of the best players in the sport can reach market. Now we discover if Magic, Pelinka and the rest of the Lakers' sadness can grasp the opportunity.
Now you know the names we are talking about.
The Lakers plan to shop at the top of the free markets and NBA agents
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The possibility of LeBron James heading to LA began to resume the steam after the finals of the NBA 2017. Although the odds have been considered for a long time in December, the constant improvement of the young Lakers has made it a potential destination more attractive … especially after negotiating a contract of February with the Cleveland Cavaliers, both improved James's chances of this year end and cleared even more salary space to bring LA closer to facilitating the dream scenario to two max. "data-reactid =" 49 "> The possibility of LeBron James heading to Los Angeles began to recover after the NBA 2017 Although the odds have been considered for a long time in December, the constant improvement of the young Lakers has made from them a more attractive destination … especially after negotiating a February deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers that improved James' chances of making this year end and released even more salary space to allow L.A. to facilitate the dream scenario to two max.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Paul George and his representatives spent much of the For the past two years, he's done everything, but he's bought billboards on the 110 to indicate that he was interested in going to LA this summer. The Lakers have reported that the interest was mutual.fool mutual.) "data-reactid =" 50 "> Paul George and his representatives have spent most of the past two years doing everything except buy billboards on the 110 to indicate that he is interested To go to Los Angeles this summer, the interest is mutual.fool mutual.)
A few days ago, James and George were joined on the Lakers race list by a third All-World wing: Kawhi Leonard. The former NBA MVP and two-time defensive player has crowned a saga that has lasted all season and where his injuries with a persistent injury to the right quadriceps have turned into a battle between his "group" of representatives and the Spurs organization. injury by suggesting that he no longer wants to play for the San Antonio Spurs … and that, if he had his talents, he would like to play Los Angeles. Hey, here's where the Lakers play!
This summer or next year, Magic must land a big fish (or two, or three)
<p class = "canvas-atom web-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "After the news of Leonard broke, the experts and the Lakers fans started trying to build a scenario in which LA landed all three superstar towards the front. Such a blow would give Walton an instant playoff team and, depending on how Johnson and Pelinka completed the rest of the lineup, perhaps a behemoth able to stand head-to-head with the two superpowers who waged a grueling war Seven of the finals of the Western Conference: the Houston Rockets, which have won more games than the NBA last season, and the Golden State Warriors, who have won three of the last four NBA championships. "data-reactid =" 53 "> Leonard's news broke, Lakers experts and fans began trying to build a scenario in which LA landed all three superstar towards the front. Such a blow would give Walton an instant playoff team and, depending on how Johnson and Pelinka completed the rest of the lineup, perhaps a behemoth able to stand head-to-head with the two superpowers who waged a grueling war Seven Western Conference finals: the Houston Rockets, who have won more games than anyone else in the NBA last season, and the Golden State Warriors, who have won three of the last four NBA championships.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "There are reasons to pump the brakes on all that The Spurs do not seem to want to swap Leonard to the Lakers, or maybe anywhere in the West, or maybe anywhere. Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that George's chances of staying with the Oklahoma City Thunder are better than you think. While there may not be as many possible landing points for LeBron, no one seems to have any real information on which to choose. "Data-reactid =" 54 "> There are reasons to stop all this, of course Les Spurs do not seem to want to exchange Leonard to the Lakers, or maybe anywhere in the West, or maybe anywhere. Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that George's chances of staying with the Oklahoma City Thunder are better than you think. Although there may not be as many possible landing points for LeBron, no one seems to have any real intelligence on which to choose.
The Magic-and-Pelinka Lakers could hit in the star tracking department, like the Kupchak-and-Buss Lakers for the last half-decade of the summers, and while there will likely be more power from the stars in the 2019 free-agent pool – Leonard, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Al Horford, Kevin Love and Marc Gasol, among others – a lot can change in a year. (Just ask Kawhi and the Spurs.)
This could explode, dramatically, and the Lakers could continue their uncomfortably long stay for them in the ranks of the NBA teams whose seasons stop well before mid-April. Tuesday's comment from Johnson has anything but assured that, if that happens, it will be his head on the block.
Magic Johnson is the reason for Lakers fans to believe
But they also gave rise to the confidence that he will avoid the blade – that for the first time in a long time, the exceptional things we all expect to happen for the Lakers will start to breed. They believed that even if it would take them more than a summer to build a new superstar foundation, it will not take much longer for Magic and Pelinka to put the Lakers back in their place among the teams that really count.
"I have complete confidence that they know what they are doing with building a list," Buss recently told Bill Oram of The Athletic.
And, clearly, Magic too. More from ESPN's Youngmisuk:
"Do you know how many finals I have been in [as a player]? So do you think I'm worried about that? I played against Larry Bird in the final. I mean, come on the man. I have participated in nine finals. I have participated in NCAA University Championships. "
When told that it's a different job than being the playmaker who orchestrated the Lakers' "Showtime" dynasty, Johnson reminded people who he is.
"I'm Magic Johnson, I'm still the same guy," he said, "I'm not going to change. No pressure on me. I will do my job. That's what I do. I do my job. I'm excited. It's funny. I am looking forward to it. D & # 39; agreement. Let's go. Let's go on. "
Spoken as a man who wants to be made to believe that he has something special in the bag … or who knows for a fact what he does.
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Dan Devine is a writer and publisher for Yahoo Sports. Do you have any advice? Email it to [email protected] or follow it on Twitter! "Data-reactid =" 74 ">Dan Devine is a writer and publisher for Yahoo Sports. Do you have any advice? Email it to [email protected] or follow it on Twitter!
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