Magic Johnson uncovered all the smoke surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers, including the rumored packages he offered for New Orleans Pelicans talisman Anthony Davis prior to the trade deadline. The former president of basketball operations went on ESPN's First Take and blamed Dell Demps for leaking the trade details — details that ultimate upset nearly his entire roster after the two sides could not reach a deal.
“I told Dell Demps, let's just do it in private. What we offer, let's keep it between us,” Johnson told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith during the show. “Well Dell didn't do that. That's how it got out.”
“Dell Demps, the [former] general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans,” Johnson clarified seconds later.
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The trade terms leaking out were eventually a grenade that was chucked back to the Lakers, as the young core of Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and several other veterans were included in the package for Davis.
The Lakers had to offer a lot of players, given that they did not know where their draft pick would land, making it less valuable — along with the number of one-year deals that they have in the roster.
Even youngsters like Ball, Ingram and Kuzma (all first-rounders), are not making nearly enough to compensate for the $25 million Davis was making this past season, let alone make up the value for a top-five star in the league.
Upon catching wind of who was involved, the team was reportedly irate with Magic for being willing to trade the entire team, except for LeBron James, to acquire a player like Davis.
Johnson ultimately met with the team in Philadelphia to put out the flames, but the smoke had already invaded that locker room — making it a point of no return.