Former Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson stopped by ESPN's First Take to “speak his truth” and share some thoughts about the team's future. Among them was the players the Lakers should target going into free agency, as Magic quickly pointed to Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving as the top two players to pair LeBron James with, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Neither Leonard nor Irving are expected to sign with the Lakers, according to several reports — as Leonard could have a choice between the Toronto Raptors and the L.A. Clippers and Irving will likely weight coming to the New York Knicks or the Brooklyn Nets.
Leonard reportedly has no intention of partnering up with LeBron James at this stage of their careers, while Irving's potential reunion with James seems rather far fetched at this point.
Yet Magic thinks getting a meeting with these top free agent talents will change it all.
“Once you get in that room, when you got LeBron sitting there, everything changes,” said Johnson.
The Lakers passed on the opportunity to trade for Leonard last summer, banking on him coming to L.A. on his own as a free agent — though he could well end up doing so, but going across the hall to the Clippers, who have overachieved and boast an additional max slot to pair him with another top-shelf talent.
As for Irving, many executives are taking his mercurial personality in consideration after what they saw from him in Year 2 with the Boston Celtics, who at this point look unlikely to keep him unless they can muster a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis.
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