Lakers: NBA Expert Discusses Magic Johnson's Negative Impact on Team
The Lakers are a franchise defined by legends. Not just Lakers alumni who won titles, but transcendent figures in the NBA. Magic Johnson is certainly on that list. As the Lakers bombed out of the playoffs earlier this month, Magic went on an ESPN media tour that produced a few headlines. Including, that LA could have had DeMar DeRozan, but LeBron and the front office bungled the deal.
As The Ringer's Ryen Russillo noted, it's not the first time that the Lakers former president of basketball operations has done an impromptu media tour that's not exactly for the overall betterment of the franchise.
"That's television stations calling up Magic Johnson saying, 'Hey do you want to pour some jet fuel on the f------ Lakers?', and he's like, 'Yep, how many shows can I do?'"
Russillo gave his take on why Magic pops up on ESPN studio every so often.
"His basic goal is one thing. When things go wrong with the Lakers, he wants the Lakers fans to know that he would have done it differently and none of this is on him. In a weird way I guess it isn't, but he's still advising the team all the time."
Russillo also pushed back on the notion that Magic's parallel universe Lakers roster was even possible.
"We're so used to it with Magic and we're like oh, wait he's doing it again, and he did it, and he actually got a lot of stuff wrong."
Magic claimed that the Lakers could have somehow signed DeMar DeRozan, traded for Buddy Hield, and kept Alex Caruso and Kenatvious Caldwell-Pope.
To keep it short, Russillo communicated a quote that he got from a NBA salary cap expert about the plausibility of the roster Magic discussed: "Collectively, no, it doesn't make any sense."
In February, Lakers majority owner Jeanie Buss stated that she still solicits advice from Magic.
His terrible relationship with general Rob Pelinka is a major factor as to why he feels the need to publicly denounce the franchise's roster management, but if Magic truly has the best interests of the organization in mind, it might be time to hold off on the media appearances.
The franchise's reputation is already in ruins.
