L.A. Lakers Trade Rumors: Magic Johnson Wants To Take Charge, Make Moves

L.A Lakers trade rumors have taken an interesting turn, as Magic Johnson wants to take over control of the roster and start making moves. Johnson has never been shy about making comments in regard to the Lakers, most notably expressing his displeasure with how the team has sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Now he is expressing interest in taking over as possibly the general manager or president of the franchise.

A report by USA Today states that Magic Johnson is ready to take over a bigger role for the Los Angeles Lakers. He recently took over as an adviser to owner Jeanie Buss, but that may not have quenched his thirst when it comes to running an NBA franchise. One of the worst-kept secrets in the NBA is that Johnson eventually wants to run a team. When asked what he hopes to do with the franchise in the future, Johnson wasn’t short on words.

“Working to call the shots, because it only works that way. Right now I’m advising. I get that. But at the end of the day, then we all got to come together and somebody’s got to say, ‘I’m making the final call,’ all right? And who’s that going to be? So, we’ll see what happens.”

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Magic Johnson had been complaining about the team to the media but was rewarded with a spot as an advisor to ownership. He immediately got to work with helping young point guard D’Angelo Russell and the early grades from NBA analysts have been good. It appears that he has his sights set a bit higher than just giving advice to the franchise, though, possibly with an eye on taking a spot in the ownership box at some point. For now, he may have to settle with helping the franchise improve from the sidelines.

It appears that Johnson is also taking his role of an advisor very seriously, spending time learning about the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, the salary cap, and other business-related items. Those are responsibilities that typically fall on the team president or general manager, so maybe he is doing some on-the-job training as an advisor. The Lakers could certainly do worse than a former player who won an MVP and helped lead the franchise to several NBA titles. Plus, Johnson could bring a “name” to the front office, which is something they have been sorely lacking.

In the latest NBA standings, the L.A. Lakers are at 18-37 and tied for the most losses in the Western Conference. The team is only barely ahead of the Phoenix Suns (16-37) in percentage points and surely heading to the top of the NBA Draft board. This is where things get tricky, as the Lakers will lose their first-round pick if they don’t wind up with a top-three selection. Anything outside of that would revert the pick to the Philadelphia 76ers to close out the Steve Nash trade from several seasons ago. It’s the trade that most Lakers fans wish had never happened.

There are several moves that the Lakers’ front office could make before the NBA trade deadline on February 23. With a player like point guard Jose Calderon in the final year of his contract, the team could easily exchange him to a contender needing a backup guard. There are other deals that the team could also make, presumably with Magic Johnson giving ownership some hints (advice) about which direction to take. With quite a few L.A. Lakers trade rumors still floating around, it’s also possible that the team could look to improve over the long-term.

[Featured Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]