The 2018-19 Los Angeles Lakers season is coming to an end and once again, the franchise will be looking towards the summer in hopes of landing another superstar.
Though owner Jeanie Buss oversees everything, she appointed president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka to be in charge of the front office.
The returns on Johnson and Pelinka have been mixed so far. Obviously, they were able to sign LeBron James which can’t be overstated, but some of their other moves have been questioned by many. Even still, Buss has not lost faith in Johnson’s ability to lead the Lakers back to prominence.
Buss recently appeared on a live taping of the Sports Business Radio Road Show, saying she will always defer to Johnson on basketball decisions and expressed her belief in what he is building, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
“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.”
This summer will be crucial in making Johnson’s vision a reality. Armed with another lottery pick and $38 million in salary cap space, the Lakers have the means to make major improvements to the roster. The likes of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and many others will be free agents and the potential Anthony Davis trade will also still be lingering around.
Buss has always maintained her belief in Johnson and what he is doing. She continues to empower him to make the decisions that he believes are best for the franchise in getting them back to the top of the league and that has not wavered one bit.
