With the Los Angeles Lakers on the verge of a fourth straight losing season, team president Jeanie Buss decided to shake things up by bringing back Magic Johnson in an advisory role. Johnson, who has fully embraced the new role, has already gotten to work evaluating the team’s basketball operations while also being a part of the decision-making process in Los Angeles.
Although it remains to be seen whether bringing back Magic is a move that helps turn things around for the Lakers, A.C. Green, a former teammate of Johnson’s and an analyst that can be seen on Spectrum SportsNet from time to time, believes the Buss family made a smart decision, via Sirius XM NBA Radio:
"I think it is one of the smartest decisions the Buss family can make about the Laker family" https://t.co/MUjDEiGIA3 on Magic & LAL
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 10, 2017
It hasn’t even been two weeks since the announcement was made of Johnson’s return to the franchise and he’s already got rumors brewing in Los Angeles. Recently, Magic let it be known that he wants to be the one calling the shots in the Lakers front office which have made the future uncertain for vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak.
No major decisions concerning the future of Buss and Kupchak will be made until after the season is over for the Lakers. Jeanie has said everything will be evaluated at season’s end meaning Magic could very well have a much more substantial role with the team once the dust settles.
In the meantime, Luke Walton and company will try to finish out the last two months of the 2016-17 NBA season on a high note. Only 26 games remain for the Lakers with 16 of those games being played at home. Los Angeles has already surpassed the win total from last year (17) with a record of 19-37 and will look to tack on a few more wins leading up to the season finale on April 12 against the Golden State Warriors.
