New Lakers Advisor Magic Johnson on Thursday said he wants to "call the shots" for the team moving forward, according to Josh Peter of USA TODAY. Johnson: "Right now I’m advising. I get that. But at the end of the day, then we all got to come together and somebody’s got to say, ‘I’m making the final call,’ all right? And who’s that going to be?" Johnson said that the decision about his role "rests with" Lakers President Jeanie Buss, adding that he thinks a decision will be made "by the end of the season." Lakers VP/Basketball Operations Jim Buss in '13 said that he "would step down after three to four years if the franchise was not yet competing for NBA titles again." Johnson: "Jim knows where we are, Jeanie knows where we are, as a franchise, and so some decisions have to be made. I may only be in this role for a short term, I may be here for a long time." Since joining the team a week ago, Johnson said that he has "focused his time learning" about the NBA's CBA, the salary cap and other business-related items (USATODAY.com, 2/10). Johnson last week said Jim Buss is "calling the shots" (THE DAILY).
WHAT COMES NEXT? ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne noted Johnson is expected to stay at the senior level of the organization "beyond this season" as a "voice alongside" GM Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss. In the coming months, he is "expected to help Jeanie Buss decide whether to revamp the basketball operations leadership team." In a conversation last week, Johnson "told Jim Buss that he was there to help, but stopped short of engaging in the larger conversation about the future." Johnson said that he "wants to hear how Buss and Kupchak explain their decision-making on draft picks, free agents and trades -- both the moves they've made and the moves not made." Johnson is "said to be personally fond of Kupchak." But sources said that Johnson has "already heard from agents and executives from other teams that Kupchak's deliberate style can be frustrating to deal with and has probably cost the Lakers in free agency in recent years." The Lakers "aren't moving at the speed NBA business is now being conducted." The Lakers last summer gave a combined $136M to 30-year-old C Timofey Mozgov and 31-year-old F Luol Deng. While both have been "good mentors" this season, "from a performance standpoint the moves have been underwhelming." Shelburne: "And that's the real issue: It's not the 2016-17 season that the Lakers should be worried about. Rather, it's how the Mozgov and Deng contracts affect future seasons." With "so much of the Lakers' money already committed ... the franchise needs to strike free-agent gold this summer or next summer" (ESPN.com, 2/8).
SORTING THROUGH THE ISSUES: ESPN's Shelburne said Johnson is "taking his cue from Jeanie Buss," and the current expectation is that at some point he will be "empowered in a much more meaningful way to either help make the decision himself or advise her on what she should do." Shelburne: "I would be very surprised if either Mitch Kupchak or Jim Buss continue in their current roles.” ESPN’s Tracy McGrady said Johnson will "help steer them in the right direction,” and free agents will "love to sit across and have a conversation" with him. But Shelburne noted Johnson already “has been in these free agent meetings,” and players “have access to Magic if you come" to L.A. Shelburne: "What they don't (have) is any connective tissue between the basketball operations and the business operations" ("The Jump," ESPN, 2/9).
