Jeanie Buss has a lot of admiration and respect for Lakers head coach Luke Walton, but amid the clouded future of the head coach, the Lakers owner has made one thing clear: Luke Walton’s future with the Lakers will be decided by Lakers president Magic Johnson.
When Buss was asked directly about Walton’s job status during a live podcast at Loyola Marymount University, she refused to answer but she would later say that all basketball decisions are ultimately made by Johnson.
“In terms of basketball decisions, I will always defer to Magic,” Buss said. “He’s brought a vision of the kind of team we’re going to build and a vision of what Lakers basketball is going to be. And I think you can see that. But we’re still building that roster that will get us there.”
There you have it. Despite the fact that Buss has always been publicly fond of Walton’s abilities as both a player for the Lakers and a coach, the decision she made in 2017 to name Magic Johnson the team President has effectively given her no choice.
She has always stood by Walton, but her closest allegiance within the Lakers remains with Magic. And it’s with him that Walton’s future will be ultimately decided.
