Magic Johnson Is Returning To The Lakers - YES

[LogicMan]

I have been suggesting this move for years. Where there is smoke there is fire. Magic wants to save the franchise. My guess is heads will finally roll.

 

[Inimical]

Guys if you can catch it watch TWC interview of Magic. It should be on replay here and there. The sportsnet lakers show or whatever. He basically lists the things he will be involved with and its pretty much everything. Hes a consultant but last i remember he still owns 5% of the Lakers. Hes taking Jims spot lol

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I have been suggesting this move for years. Where there is smoke there is fire. Magic wants to save the franchise. My guess is heads will finally roll.

That's the beauty of this move - No one has to lose their job and it saves face. According to an article, Jim Buss said he would remove himself if the franchise was not a contender in three or four years. That quote according to the article was made in 2014 which means that Jim could push the envelope and say he has one more year. Now he can say that he removed himself from the process of building the team already and has other duties now. It's done quietly and in a business like manner that doesn't create a lot of drama and quite honestly - that's how the other professional businesses have done things. It's a win win situation. I like Mitch Kupchak and I think he has done a good job. I don't think Jeannie or Jim Buss have done a horrible job as much as they simply are being unknown quantities by free agents. Free agents have never heard of Jeannie or Jim as people that build championships. They will listen to Magic - but winning 30 games and having a talented coach this year is also going to be a big help this summer.

That being said, I don't expect miracle moves and I think the Lakers might still be another year away from signing free agents that will matter, but at least the organization is moving in the right direction and who knows - If they can get lucky and get one more more first round draft pick in the top 3 - that would really be nice. The Lakers in a few years have developed their starting line up as

Randle - PF
Zubac - C
Russell - PG
Ingram - SF
Clarkson-SG

Louis Williams combined for the shooting guard is pretty good, so I think I would be looking to find another guard. so that if Russell can't play it, then move Clarkson or Nance to the point and put him in. The Lakers are going to have a great cast once they are developed. Magic Johnson adds hope for even bigger fish

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Guys if you can catch it watch TWC interview of Magic. It should be on replay here and there. The sportsnet lakers show or whatever. He basically lists the things he will be involved with and its pretty much everything. Hes a consultant but last i remember he still owns 5% of the Lakers. Hes taking Jims spot lol

That's what I say - He takes Jim Buss duties in such a way that avoids the "You're Fired" drama. I thought he sold that stock back to Jerry Buss though before he bought into the Dodgers

 

[Malibu]

Good to see Magic home where he belongs. Peace.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I have you blocked Handicappers and do not read your messages, so you are wasting your time stalking me and making whatever comments in here and in the politics room you're making. It just leaves me in a better mood to not know what came out of your fat ass. Just saying, but here is my response to your rainbow

 

[tducey]

Interesting hire, Magic was a huge part of a previous Lakers dynasty, wonder if he'll help bring that back in his new role.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Interesting hire, Magic was a huge part of a previous Lakers dynasty, wonder if he'll help bring that back in his new role.

Some people have suggested he is going to be the hatchet man that axes Jim Buss so Jeannie doesn't have to fire her own brother

 

[larryjohn]

Some people have suggested he is going to be the hatchet man that axes Jim Buss so Jeannie doesn't have to fire her own brother

Interesting to re-read the article announcing Magic's 25-year contract he signed about 1 year into his NBA career with Dr. Buss.

------------------

INGLEWOOD, Calif., June 25, 1981— Earvin (Magic) Johnson has signed a 25-year contract for $1 million a year, starting in 1984, Jerry Buss, the Los Angles Lakers' owner, said tonight.

The contract, which runs through the year 2009, is apparently the richest and longest in sports. Johnson, 21 years old, who will earn his current $500,000 a year over the next three seasons, becomes the third $1 million-per-year player in the National Basketball Association, following a teammate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Houston's Moses Malone.

Buss said the contract does not specify how long Johnson will play. When his playing career is over, Buss said, Johnson will move into a management role with the club.

''He may even be my coach,'' Buss said. ''Or general manager. Or maybe he'll run the team and I'll just sit back and watch. ''Magic is a bright kid and I plan to make him my protege, teach him the business aspect of sports. I realize this is a very unusual contract because we're talking about a kid whose college class just graduated. But what it comes down to is that Magic is part of the family.''

Buss said that his decision was based on his projected rate of inflation and the salary Johnson could command as a free agent. He said he was certain Johnson could get $2 million in two years on the free-agent market.

''The $1 million a year I'm paying covers all his basketball playing,'' Buss said. ''You have to figure the kid has 10 years of playing left. After that, you and I both know he will be a legend. And he'll know plenty about basketball and business because I'm going to teach him.

''I know that $1 million a year past basketball sounds exorbitant. But consider this: 14 years from now, the average secretary - not good ones mind you, but average ones - will be making $60,000 a year. So Magic's services, as coach or GM or whichever direction we mutually choose to take, are worth $1 million a year to me.''

 

[trojanfan12]

Guys if you can catch it watch TWC interview of Magic. It should be on replay here and there. The sportsnet lakers show or whatever. He basically lists the things he will be involved with and its pretty much everything. Hes a consultant but last i remember he still owns 5% of the Lakers. Hes taking Jims spot lol

Nah, he sold his percentage in 2010. He's not really taking Jim's spot, but I expect Jim will be gone and hopefully, Mitch will take over for Jim and they'll make Ryan West GM.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Magic is still doing the national TV pre-game show? Is this really a serious gig with the LAkers?

 

[trojanfan12]

Magic is still doing the national TV pre-game show? Is this really a serious gig with the LAkers?

Yes. But it's an advisory/consultant role, not a full time position. From what has been said, he'll basically be giving Jeanie another voice on decisions that need to be made and the direction of the organization. Dr. Buss took Magic under his wing and taught him just about as much re: his vision for the Lakers as he did Jeanie.

He'll also be around to work with the players a bit (especially Russell).

I expect he'll be most active in the off-season when Jeanie has to make decisions on who will stick around, who will be let go and who will be brought in for the FO. He'll also be involved in meetings with FA's. I don't know how much his presence in those meetings will help, but it certainly won't hurt and it's bound to be better than having Jim in those meetings.

 

[Pastafazul]

and without reading 1 post, what does this mean, problems solved?

 

[trojanfan12]

and without reading 1 post, what does this mean, problems solved?

lol. No, but it's another potentially positive step towards getting them solved.

I am assuming that changes are coming. I just hope that whatever changes are going to be made in the FO will happen either as soon as the Lakers are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, or as soon as the season is over. They don't need to be going into the off-season with an unsettled FO.

 

[WiggyRuss]

and without reading 1 post, what does this mean, problems solved?

he is still going to be a studio analyst for ESPN so, take it for what you will. I am assuming he will just be another voice here and there- its not like he is going to be in the building on a daily basis grinding thats for sure.

If i was the Lakers id do what most credible teams are doing- hire a few ivy league mba's that will work 80 hours a week and get the job done. After seeing how bright the future is in Philly- why not bring in Hinkie for an interview?- he took a team with basically no assets, and has turned them into a team with one of the brightest futures in the entire league.

 

[trojanfan12]

After seeing how bright the future is in Philly- why not bring in Hinkie for an interview?- he took a team with basically no assets, and has turned them into a team with one of the brightest futures in the entire league.

Interestingly, word out here is that when Jeanie was asking FO/GM related questions of various contacts around the league, one of the questions she asked was "Did Hinkie really do that bad of a job?" Presti was another GM that she asked about.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

The newspaper said that Jim Buss made his firing himself comment in 2016, so that would give him one more year to make the progress needed to save his ass. The strategy of Magic Johnson in my opinion corrects that problem a year ahead of time and gives them a chance to be competitive. If the Lakers next season can make the playoffs then Buss most likely stays.

 

[handicappers]

Just because you are a world class player doesn't mean you will be a good Executive.

 

[larryjohn]

The newspaper said that Jim Buss made his firing himself comment in 2016, so that would give him one more year to make the progress needed to save his ass. The strategy of Magic Johnson in my opinion corrects that problem a year ahead of time and gives them a chance to be competitive. If the Lakers next season can make the playoffs then Buss most likely stays.

Actually he said it 3-1/2 years ago.

- - - - - -
After the 2013-14 season, Lakers executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss said:

if this doesn’t work in three to four years, if we’re not back on the top — and the definition of top means contending for the Western Conference, contending for a championship — then I will step down because that means I have failed.​

Buss says the Lakers are ahead of schedule.

He better hope so, because his sister and fellow owner – team president Jeanie Buss – has a different idea about his deadline.

Sam Amick of USA Today:

When pressed on the matter of when the deadline date will be, Jim said, “Two more full seasons, a summer of change and then let that season go. Whatever happens in that third season, that’s fine. I have no problem with that. I think we’re that close.”

Yet Jeanie, the Lakers president, told USA TODAY Sports that she was perplexed by that characterization of the timeline.

“He has given me a timeline, and I have no reason to think that they won’t have a competitive team by the deadline,” Jeanie said.

That deadline, she was asked, is the end of the 2016-17 season?

“Yes,” she said. “Not this season, but the end of next season, which will be the summer of 2017.”​

 

[Inimical]

Nah, he sold his percentage in 2010. He's not really taking Jim's spot, but I expect Jim will be gone and hopefully, Mitch will take over for Jim and they'll make Ryan West GM.

Forget the 5% thing but mostly going by that interview in which he sited everything you can imagine about being involved with the team.