Despite stepping down from his position as president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson has been in the news just as much, if not more, than he was before.
On Monday, Johnson was a guest on ESPN’s “First Take” and he aired out his grievances with this former co-workers, most notably current general manager Rob Pelinka, who he accused of “backstabbing and whispering.” However, there also appears to be some bad blood between Johnson and Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Johnson and Buss started to grow during February’s trade deadline because of how the Anthony Davis trade negotiations were handled and the players that were involved:
According to someone familiar with the situation, the disconnect stems back to the trade deadline. Johnson apparently offered the New Orleans Pelicans more in a trade for All-Star forward Anthony Davis (notably Lonzo Ball) than had been communicated with Buss.
This context helps explain why Buss called the Lakers’ pursuit of Davis “fake news” after the trade deadline. If these whispers are true, it’s possible that Buss didn’t think her team was that interested in acquiring the 26-year-old All-Star.
It also explains why Buss felt the need to erase the gap between her and general manager Rob Pelinka. During Lakers head coach Frank Vogel’s press conference on Tuesday, Pelinka confirmed that the team will absolve the president of basketball operations position and he will answer directly to ownership. Previously, Pelinka answered to Johnson.
That might not be the best way for the Lakers to run their basketball operations, especially when there are qualified basketball executives looking for jobs, but it’s one that Buss feels comfortable with. Hopefully her ambitious decision doesn’t impede the team’s ability to improve their roster in free agency this summer.
