Magic Johnson Reveals What Lakers Must Do Before It’s Too Late

The Los Angeles Lakers legend outlined a clear path forward for Los Angeles while also weighing in on the uncertainty surrounding LeBron James.

Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Magic Johnson (left) and Jeanie Buss at unveiling of statue of former Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the 2026 NBA Draft and the start of NBA free agency right around the corner, the clock is ticking for the Los Angeles Lakers to figure out what they want to do this summer to build around superstar Luka Doncic and close the gap in a highly competitive Western Conference.

The Lakers’ revamped front office faces many tough decisions regarding the team’s free agents and potential trades to improve the roster sooner rather than later. It will be a busy offseason, with the action likely getting underway in a couple of weeks.

Ahead of what will be an important offseason of moves for the storied franchise, Lakers legend Magic Johnson chimed in on what he thinks the team should do moving forward during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up with Mike Greenberg and Stephen A. Smith.

Magic Johnson Reveals What the Lakers Need to Do This Summer

“The Lakers need to be younger, more athletic, faster,” Johnson said. “Help Luka. I don’t know what they’re going to do, Greeny, but those couple of things, they’re going to have to do.”

With the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder being the cream of the crop in the West, they have laid out the blueprint for what the Lakers should do to build their roster, a blueprint Johnson also alluded to.

It’ll be no easy task to follow in the footsteps of the Spurs and Thunder, especially with the Lakers traditionally being built on blockbuster trades, like landing Anthony Davis in the summer of 2019 and recently flipping him for Doncic ahead of the NBA trade deadline in 2025.

Another major question mark for the Lakers heading into this NBA offseason is whether LeBron James is in the team’s plans for the immediate future. James has yet to announce his decision on what he wants to do, but the door still appears to be open for a return to Los Angeles for a record-setting 24th season.

Magic Johnson on LeBron James Rumors About Returning to Cleveland

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“Well, that's not a bad place,” Johnson said of James returning to the Cavs. “They are already set up to win, and you put LeBron in that lineup, that's a really good lineup and a chance to really do something in the East, but we don't know what LeBron wants to do, and we don't know what the Lakers want to do.”

Johnson believes it is up to new Lakers team owner Mark Walter to decide what path the storied franchise should take with James this summer, and that decision-making process must happen before the NBA Draft on June 23.

“Mark Walter, the new owner, has to make that call and that decision, and they got to make it soon because the draft is coming, free agency is coming. So, ‘Hey, LeBron, what do you want to do? Hey, Mark Walters, what do you want?’ And they got to make that, to me, before the draft and before free agency.”

There’s definitely a lot of uncertainty in Los Angeles right now, with no telling what the roster will look like around Doncic during the 2026-27 NBA season.

Johnson is correct when saying those decisions need to be made quickly, with the draft and free agency only a few weeks away. It will help longtime general manager Rob Pelinka and company come up with a plan of attack to shape this team into a potential title contender for the foreseeable future.

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