Magic’s Off And Running: President’s Moves Are Very Cold And Calculated
This week the Lakers elevated Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, to president of basketball operations.
The NBA legend played with heart and soul and brought warmth and life to a moribund league.
However, Johnson’s choice to replace the ousted Mitch Kupchak as general manager and the first trade of his reign feel a bit cold and soulless.
Jury Still Out
The Lakers wasted little time officially announcing the hiring of Rob Pelinka as GM.
He is the founder of Landmark Sports Agency and former agent to Kobe Bryant, James Harden and Andre Iguodala, among others.
What Pelinka lacks in front office experience, he makes up for with a deep understanding of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the salary cap and advanced performance analytics.
As an agent, he speaks fluent Agent, which, presumably is a trendy trait for the next generation of NBA general manager. It certainly is in Johnson’s eyes.
On Feb. 2, Johnson was brought in as an ownership adviser by Lakers’ co-owner and president, Jeanie Buss, then anointed the new president of basketball operation this week. In an interview on Tuesday with Spectrum SportsNet, Johnson described just the type of person he wanted at the GM helm.
Meets Magic’s Criteria
“It’s about finding the right person who understands the new CBA… but who also understands our team and wants to be here,” Johnson said. “[Someone] who knows players, knows agents… and who also has relationships around the league already.”
Then, Johnson negotiated his first trade, sending the Lakers’ leading scorer, Lou Williams (18.6 PPG/24.1 PER) to the Houston Rockets for 11-year veteran swingman, Corey Brewer (4.2 PPG/7.68 PER) plus a 2017 first-round pick.
It was a brilliantly brainy and calculated move that ticked off a lot of boxes on the “Salary Cap Safety” checklist. But, it does little to tickle fans. And seemingly does nothing to make the Lakers significantly better now or next season.
What it did was swap Williams’ $7-million salary for Brewer’s $7.6 million in ‘17-18 (both expiring next season) and gain a first-round pick in a deeply talented draft pool this year.
Trade Or Build?
Now, the Lakers have the flexibility to try to parlay that draft pick into a blockbuster trade or keep it to possibly add another jewel to a young roster full of potential and upside.
“No one is really untouchable, but we love our young guys,” Lakers’ head coach, Luke Walton said. “We want to continue to build around them. I don’t want to see our young core go anywhere.”
As a stepping stone trade, the possibilities are admittedly exciting. If either or both of the Lakers’ first round picks (one is top three protected and the other unprotected) can be packaged in a deal that brings a superstar like Paul George to LA, the Williams trade will have a lot more soul.
Oh So Close!
“We are a superstar away,” proclaimed Johnson. “One guy changes our landscape, because we have everything we need except that one guy to make everyone better.”
Otherwise, in a vacuum, the deal is a yawner.
Sure, it will improve the Lakers’ defense. Defending the perimeter was not Williams’ strong suit.
It also frees up shots and minutes for the young guns (D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson) to develop, especially during crunch time when the ball routinely found itself in Williams’ hands.
“We can score the basketball,” Johnson said. “Now we need to tighten up the defense.”
Another Plus
Having Houston’s pick ensures the Lakers will have at least one first-round pick this year, since they would lose their other pick to the Sixers should it fall out of the top three in the lottery.
Now, with the NBA trade deadline come and gone, Pelinka has all spring and summer to announce his presence with authority and endear himself to Lakers’ fans who have suffered through an 84-220 record and .276 winning percentage since 2013.
Challenges Ahead!
If Pelinka is the salary cap and CBA guru Johnson thinks he is, let’s see what he does with the dreadful, debilitating Timofey Mozgov contract (three years remaining: $15.3 million in ’17-18, $16 million in ’18-19, and $16.7 million in ’19-20), which exposes itself like a matryoshka doll of knee injuries, lack of speed and mediocrity.
The firing of Kupchak and removal of Jim Buss from head of basketball operations is justified based on the Mozgov signing alone – a complete overreaction (picture Kupchak banging his shoe on the negotiation table a la Nikita Khrushchev at the UN) to missing out on coveted top tier free agents last summer.
“The Purple and Gold Standard really dictated that status quo wasn’t acceptable,” Jeanie Buss admitted. “This was a very difficult decision. I probably waited too long, and for that I apologize to Lakers’ fans.”
Over Paid, Under Performed
Mozgov has done little to earn his giant four-year salary.
The Lakers coughed up $64 million like a scrawny kid handing over his lunch money to the playground bully. The Lakers should have just said, “Nyet!”
This year, Mozgov has scored 7.4 PPG and pulled down 4.9 RPG.
Numbers right in line with his career averages (7.0 PPG/5.0 RPG) and more commensurate with the $4.95 million salary he earned in his last year with the Cavaliers than the $48 million left on his current deal with the Lakers.
Winner Off The Court, We’ll See?
To succeed as the Lakers’ GM, Pelinka, who won an NCAA hoops National Championship with Michigan and played with the Fab Five, must figure out what to do with Mozgov, Luol Deng, and Nick Young, and avoid deals like the Russian landmine partly responsible for taking out Kupchak and Buss.
By mixing a bona fide superstar with calculated signings and cap space maneuverings this summer, maybe Pelinka and Johnson can bring a little heart and magic back to the Lakers.
Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Allsport
Vincent Morales
Recently, Morales was the marketing manager and publicist for a world-renowned sports artist and was instrumental in securing and maintaining deals for the artist to work with Stephen Curry, Aaron Rodgers, Derek Jeter, Floyd Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions, the Topps Company, Steiner Sports, and Fanatics Authentic, among many others.
Morales is a lifelong resident of southern California.
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