The sudden decision of Magic Johnson to step down as the President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers has of course led to a spiral of speculation about what the Lakers will do next.
Johnson didn’t give much of an endorsement on Tuesday night when asked about the job status of head coach Luke Walton or general manager Rob Pelinka, somebody who he admittedly didn’t know before working with him. The future of the Lakers appears to be in the hands of Jeanie Buss and her only.
It’s also worth noting that Johnson told the media he would step down if he was unable to get another superstar this summer. As our former contributor Chris Ross said tonight, make of that previous statement what you will in light of his decision to leave the Lakers head job.
The Lakers will close the regular season tonight and if Magic’s decision is any indication, nothing but hard work will get them back to the place they used to know. It doesn’t appear that the superstars are coming to save the Purple and Gold. But it’s worth wondering which decision makers could make there way in the Lakers organization.
Griffin spends his evenings on NBA TV these days but he’s only done that as he’s enjoyed the status of being the architect of not only the 2016 Cavaliers, but also the iconic Phoenix Suns of 2017.
Griffin’s candidacy starts and ends with this: his familiarity and comfort in the pressure cooker environment of LeBron James. He knows what it takes and by all accounts, he would have led the Cavaliers into the 2020s had Dan Gilbert been willing to renew his contract.
A trust with James and “Griff” already exists, but Jeanie Buss will likely have most of the league’s decision-makers eager to make an impression to make their own imprint on the L.A. market.
