For the second straight season, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a major splash during the NBA offseason by reaching an agreement to acquire the most coveted piece available on the market. While it was the acquisition of LeBron James that took the league by storm and shook the landscape of the league's signature franchise last season via free-agency, this time around it was a move made by trade that enabled the Lakers to acquire their newest member just days after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Joining James and company in Tinseltown for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season will be six-time All-Star and former first overall pick Anthony Davis who was acquired over the weekend from the New Orleans Pelicans. Though pairing LeBron with the talented 26-year old big man is the latest step in the Lakers' efforts to end their longest postseason drought in franchise history, it didn't come cheap as they certainly paid a hefty price in return.
In exchange for the three-time All-NBA swingman, the Lakers sent a package deal to the Big Easy that included PG Lonzo Ball, SF Brandon Ingram, SG Josh Hart and three first round picks, including the No. 4 pick in next week's Draft. Add those names and picks to a roster that already includes former Laker Julius Randle and All-Star guard Jrue Holiday and will soon add Duke sensation and consensus No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, and the Pelicans appear to have themselves a nice little squad of their own. The deal which can't be made official until July 6, is a major win for a Pelicans franchise that would've seen Davis walk via free-agency following the 2019-20 season otherwise. While the Lakers did ship off many of their young assets, they did however manage to hang onto forward Kyle Kuzma who has easily been the most productive player among L.A.'s young core over the past two seasons and was initially believed to be one of the main pieces the Pelicans were asking for in the package deal. And as if the Lakers weren't already in win now mode given the window is closing more rapidly than ever for James who will be entering his age 35 season and the second year of his 4-year, $153.3 Million dollar pact with the team, the addition of Davis coupled with a pair of key injuries suffered by the Warriors' Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson could result in a major shift in power out West.
While the race for Anthony Davis appeared to be only a three-team race between the Lakers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, L.A. proved to be the only team with enough ammunition willing to pull the trigger. While the Knicks simply didn't have enough assets to garner the Pelicans' attention, Boston's unwillingness to include the promising young talent of Jayson Tatum made the Lakers' offer the most attractive as they eventually came out as the winners in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. However, the Lakers' reloading phase won't stop there as they'll now focus their attention on acquiring another possible max-contract player with such names as Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving leading the charge. Or could it be someone who's slipped under the radar like Jimmie Butler? While it remains uncertain who will be joining LeBron and Davis in the purple & gold for the upcoming season, one thing that is certain is that newly hired head coach Frank Vogel's Lakers team saw their stock rise just moments after the trade news broke, as they currently sit as the odds on favorite to win the NBA title next season at 7-2 according to the Caesars Sportsbook in Las Vegas.
But for now, the trade serves as some long awaited good news for Lakerland following a tumultuous season both on and off the court for the once proud Lakers organization that has had its fair share of bumps and bruises and has been rather out of wack over the past 6 months. From the botched trade to land A.D. down the stretch before the NBA trade deadline that sent the team into a downward spiral, to the firing of head coach Luke Walton, to the very publicized rocky relationship between front-office officials which ultimately led to Magic Johnson stepping down and resigning from his position as the team's president of basketball operations, and everything in between.
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It's official, LeBron James is a Los Angeles Laker. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the one they call, "King James" would don the purple and gold. But that's not to say I'm not excited. Hell, this is the most excited I've ever been for a free-agent signing in all the years I've been a Laker fan. If only all of Laker Nation felt the same way. In the first week of the news breaking that LeBron had agreed to a four-year, $153.3 Million dollar deal to bring his talents to Hollywood, choosing L.A. over several teams with much more fortified rosters than that of L.A.'s, the most scrutinized player in NBA (and quite possibly sports) history, has already received a whirlwind of feedback in and around Los Angeles and it's not all positive.
Shortly after breaking Twitter by announcing his decision, local artists and fans welcomed LeBron with numerous billboards and a detailed mural that showcased LeBron in a Laker uniform that read, "King of L.A." Unfortunately, the mural would be vandalized just two days later as someone defaced the piece of artwork with, "We don't want you", as well as "3-6", referring to LeBron's record in the NBA Finals. Worth noting and for those keeping score at home, is those three NBA titles LeBron has been apart of, despite the sub-par record overall, are three more titles than the Lakers have won during that time span. Then again I doubt that's something the coward who had the gull to damage such a fine illustration would know. In fact, the person who vandalized the mural probably couldn't name more than two players on the roster and probably still hopes to wake up one day to find Kobe Bryant full-body cast and all, magically appear on the roster. But I'm not here to tell you that the logic of Laker fans isn't the greatest, because we know that already. That much is evident every time the Lakers add a banner to the crowded rafters of Staples Center as the fans celebrate by tipping cars, looting businesses and setting the city ablaze.
Sadly, the misinformed vandal isn't the only one who feels this way as I've seen my fair share of disgruntled Laker fans on Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks who are none too pleased that their favorite team just landed the best player on the planet. Most of whom have a hatred for LeBron which stems from their loyalty to Kobe who just so happens to be not only my favorite Laker of all-time, but also my favorite NBA player of all-time. But I'll be the first to tell you that ship has sailed and that Kobe, as great as he was, is just another retired player who's waiting to hear his name enshrined into the Hall of Fame. However, I also use common sense and know that when the greatest player of his generation joins a struggling organization that is experiencing its worst playoff drought in franchise history in the prime of his career, I welcome that move with open arms. Not to mention anybody that's watched a lick of Lakers basketball over the past five years, knows just how much of a dumpster fire this team has become, both on and off the court.
As if their combined record of 126-284 over the last five seasons hasn't been a cause for concern as of late, their recent inability to land marquee players on the free-agent market should do the trick. With that said, landing the 33-year old James is a huge win for the organization and its fans. Before the James signing, the Lakers whiffed on such free-agents as LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant and Paul George, and also witnessed players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Demar DeRozan, all of whom are from the L.A. area, re-sign with their current clubs. That's not to say the Lakers would've been the favorite to land either name, but seeing players scoff at the idea of playing ball in southern California is not something Laker fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years. Then again, times have changed and the NBA is now a league where guys would rather play alongside their best friends to form "super teams" opposed to wanting to be looked upon as the guy who brought his team a title. Both of which are narratives LeBron is quite familiar with considering he helped birth the "super team" trend with his decision to head to Miami to team up with besties Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in the summer of 2010 before returning to Cleveland in 2014 and delivering the city its first championship in 52-years just two seasons later.
Just three seasons removed from their worst record in franchise history (17-65), the Lakers should be in store for the biggest record turnaround in the NBA this coming season and should be exciting to watch as LeBron will try and help speed up the development of L.A.'s young cast of players. As it stands, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart are some of the young players that will join James as head coach Luke Walton's Laker team hopes to build upon their 35-47 record from a year ago, an increase of 9-wins from the previous season and 18-wins from 2015-16. Along with James, the brain trust of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka stayed busy on the free-agency front by bringing in Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee as well as re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all on one-year deals. All of which were moves Johnson and Pelinka made after consulting with James, which means he was on board with bringing in a former nemesis of his in Stephenson. It also gives you the impression that both sides are in this for the long-haul and that this coming season will likely be a rebuilding process in the ever-increasing powerhouse that is the NBA's Western Conference. Something that we aren't used to seeing from a team led by LeBron James, further proving that his latest decision wasn't just about himself and his basketball legacy, but also for his family. And for this reason I can admit to finally rooting for King James and why other Laker fans should give the guy a chance like I've decided to. Besides, if the fans in Cleveland can no longer hate him for departing the city he grew up just a stones throw away from for a second time now after delivering them a long-awaited title, Laker fans have no reason to gripe at his arrival.
Before the other signings were made official, the seismic move of adding LeBron alone automatically gave the Lakers the third-best odds to win the 2019 NBA Finals according to odds makers, which is quite impressive considering they've witnessed the playoffs from the comfort of their own home in each of the past five seasons. Unfortunately, those chances took a hit shortly after as the reigning champion Golden State Warriors reloaded their already stellar roster with the signing of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins. As for LeBron's legacy, the man could retire today and would still finish his career with nine NBA Finals appearances (including eight straight), that's more than most NBA franchises have under their belt. If he never played another game he would be regarded as one of the game's all-time greats, whether you have him in front of or just behind Michael Jordan for that top spot. But if anything can help catapult James over MJ in the discussion of who's the greatest to ever step foot on the hardwood, it would be helping revive the dying carcass that has been the Lakers franchise into winners again. Something he'll have at least four years to do and something the fans and naysayers alike will be keeping close tabs on.
Oh yeah and by the way, the mural was fixed just hours later.
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With the 2017 NBA Draft officially in the books, the Los Angeles Lakers are one step closer to finishing their rebuilding process and competing for an NBA title, or at least they hope. After landing the second overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery for the third consecutive year, the brain trust of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka made UCLA point-guard Lonzo Ball the newest member of the Lakers. Chosen as the first player under the Lakers' new regime, Magic is putting all of his eggs into Lonzo's basket in hopes of him being the new face of the franchise a season after the former UCLA Bruin helped lead the program to the Sweet 16 and compiled the most assists in a single-season in UCLA history as a one and done freshman.
Though its been widely speculated that many including Lonzo's outspoken father LaVar Ball saw the pick coming months ago, nothing was set in stone until NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced L.A.'s selection on Draft night Thursday evening. Despite the rumor of it being a foregone conclusion that the Lakers would take Ball, Magic and company still did their due diligence by working out other players and at least listening to trade offers. Not to mention a few boulders needed to be shifted along the way to make room for their "new leader" as Johnson called him. Having grown up in Southern California and playing collegiately just a stones throw away from his new home in Staples Center, Lonzo did take a gamble by working out exclusively for the hometown Lakers. And though he would consider working out for other clubs once the Lakers announced they had sent out invites to several other players in the Draft, the Lakers remained the only team he would meet with after both parties scheduled a second workout which solidified L.A.'s decision and proved to pay dividends for the 19-year old Ball.
Having drawn comparisons to future Hall of Fame point-guard Jason Kidd, the Lakers are getting an elite passer who is dynamic in transition and is an excellent shooter, something Kidd was not. When comparing their college numbers, Ball shot a 73% field goal percentage from within the three-point line compared to Kidd's 54% at Cal Berkeley. He also had him beat from behind the arch as Ball shot 41% from three compared to Kidd's 33%. So if Lonzo can pan out to be a better shooting version of Jason Kidd, I'd say the Lakers made out alright and have their leader Magic coveted.
If Lonzo can succeed in a Laker uniform, he'll deserve all the praise in the world as he enters the league with lofty expectations set by the constant chatter and sound bytes from his loudmouth father, coupled with playing under the bright lights of his hometown in L.A. And then there's the void left by the now departed D'Angelo Russell who the Lakers decided to trade in order to make room for Lonzo. Two days prior to the Draft, the Lakers packaged Russell who was selected second overall just two years ago and the expensive contract of Timofey Mozgov to Brooklyn in exchange for center Brook Lopez and the 27th Pick in Thursday's Draft which they would then use to select power-forward Kyle Kuzma out of Utah. While critics and fans alike praised the move which now free's the Lakers of Mozgov's terrible four-year, $64 Million dollar contract, they also expressed their disappointment in the Lakers' front-office for giving up on Russell so early into his career. Coming out of College at Ohio State University, Russell was touted as being the best passing point-guard since Magic Johnson. And though he would often times show flashes of brilliance, mostly with his shooting, he struggled to rack up the assists and failed to even resemble Kevin Johnson, much less Magic Johnson.
With the trade being just as much a salary dump as it was a chance to make room for Ball, the Lakers have now freed up nearly $60 Million in cap space for the chance of potentially luring two big name free-agents with such names as Paul George and LeBron James expected to hit the free-agent market in 2017-18. With lots of money to play with in the coming seasons comes plenty of intrigue. But that's not to say this season isn't worth forgetting about according to one person. Just when you hoped the annoying interviews and quotes from Lonzo's father LaVar Ball were through, out he comes with another batch freshly brewed from that relentless mouth of his. After his son was introduced by the team during a press-conference on Friday, LaVar made sure to add at least one more pressure-filled prediction on his son's shoulders by claiming, "Lonzo Ball is going to take the Lakers to the playoffs this year." While I hope he isn't wrong with that one, if Lonzo and company can deliver on LaVar's latest promise, it'll end the Lakers' four-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history.
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With the NBA currently in its All-Star break and some 50 games into the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers which consists mostly of a young crop of talent, are enjoying some time off the court in preparation of the final stretch. But while the team sent zero players to participate in the actual All-Star Game itself, the organization has remained every bit as busy in the front-office. And on Tuesday, team owner Jeanie Buss made the announcement that both Mitch Kupchak who had been with the Lakers organization since 1981, including six years as a player before spending the last two plus decades in the front-office as general manager, and Jim Buss (executive vice president of basketball operations) would be relieved of their duties. And the man Jeanie would replace her own brother with is one that knows the Lakers franchise as well as anyone -- Mr. Earvin "Magic" Johnson. After helping lead them to five NBA titles in the 80's, Magic isn't quite done helping the Lakers return to being the dominant franchise he remembers them as.
The move to bring Johnson aboard is a seismic shift in the landscape of the Lakers organization and is one Jeanie Buss says she should've made years ago as the franchise is suffering from its worst playoff drought in team history which will reach four consecutive seasons come seasons end. And in just his first day on the job, Johnson wasted little time before making phone calls to get a deal done just days before Thursday's trade deadline as he shipped guard Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets in exchange for small forward Corey Brewer and a first round pick in this year's draft. Williams, a former Sixth Man of the Year Award winner in 2015 with the Toronto Raptors, is having the best year of his career while averaging 18.6 points per game coming off the bench. With the Rockets (40-18) being one of the better teams not only in the Western Conference this year but in the entire Association, the acquisition of Williams provides depth to a team already stacked with shooters including Eric Gordon who won Saturday's Three-Point shooting Contest and is second in the league in points off the bench, trailing only his new teammate.
The trade figures to help both teams as the Lakers add another draft pick in their ongoing efforts to rebuild and Houston adds another shooter which now gives them the top two highest scorers coming off the bench. Not to mention Rockets superstar James Harden gets some much appreciated help while leading the league in assists per game (11.3) and trailing only Russell Westbrook and Isaiah Thomas for the scoring title. With the Western Conference looked at as being Golden State's to lose, Houston is one of the teams that isn't expected to stand in the way of the Warriors but at least stands a punchers chance and could cause problems for the back-to-back Western Conference Champions come playoff time.
Back to the Lakers, Los Angeles is suffering yet another disappointing season at 19-39, one win better than the Phoenix Suns for the worst record in the West and third worst overall, but has already surpassed last season's win total of 17-65 under first-year head coach Luke Walton. After a fast start to the season which saw L.A. win six of its first ten games for the first time since the 2011-12 season, Walton's team has taken a step back whether that be a result of a series of injuries they've endured or the young guys are experiencing exhaustion while still getting acclimated to the grind of the NBA season. Or perhaps a combination of the two. Moving forward, Johnson promised in his interview with Spectrum Sportsnet that when it comes time to making a pitch to a player in the free-agent process, that it won't be about telling old stories about the organization's past success during the Showtime Lakers or the Kobe-led Lakers, but rather "the new Lakers." For me personally, this comes off as especially important considering its an area that Kupchak struck out in numerous times in the past few seasons when attempting to lure star players via free agency. With a new GM expected to be announced in the coming days, only time will tell if the hiring of Magic will pay off. But at least for now it's a hire that ensures Lakers fans they've got someone in the drivers seat who cares dearly about the organization and one who will give it his all to try and right the ship in Tinsletown just like he did on the court.
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On this day 20 years ago Ervin "Magic" Johnson held a live press conference in front of a television audience where he broke the shocking news that forever changed the Basketball landscape and the way we look at life. Living the life of a rock star who won a state championship while in high school, a national championship in college and 5-NBA titles with the Showtime Lakers, Magic was at the pinnacle of basketball immortality. However, one year removed from his third MVP award it would all come to an abrupt stop when it was learned that the 12-time All-Star had tested positive for HIV. At the age of 32 which is still considered to be young in the sport of basketball, Johnson was forced to walk away and retire from the game he so truly loved only several games into the '91-'92 season in fear of spreading the virus to his teammates and fellow players.
Though he would later make a return to the court to star in the 1992 All-Star Game and play for the '92 US men's Basketball team which won the gold medal and became famously known as the "Dream Team", Johnson's days on the court ended all too soon. After the 1993-94 season in which Magic unsuccessfully coached the Lakers to a 33-49 record and failed to make the playoffs, Johnson staged a final comeback during the last 32 games of the season before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and retiring for good. Despite the hardships that have altered the life of both he and his loved ones, Johnson has refused to surrender to adversity and let the ongoing fight with his deadly disease tarnish his journey in life.
Having been diagnosed with the virus for 20 years now at the age of 52, the Hall of Fame inductee Johnson serves as an integral advocate and contributor in the HIV community off the court much like he did on the court. Founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation that helps combat the disease, Ervin is one of the greatest players to ever step foot on the hardwood despite having his playing days cut short. Looking back at what will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of sports, calling Magic Johnson a warrior for his continued battle would be an understatement as he serves as an inspiration to us all.
