The recent public resignation of Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson has forced controlling-owner Jeanie Buss to be on the lookout for her next executive. The process of doing so will start with feeling out the temperature of the likes of R.C. Buford (San Antonio Spurs), Bob Myers (Golden State Warriors), Sam Presti (Oklahoma City Thunder), Masai Ujiri (Toronto Raptors), Neil Olshey (Portland Trail Blazers) or free agent David Griffin, according to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz.
While it's unlikely the Lakers job is attractive to all of them, Buss is starting at a good place, outside of the “family” concept this organization has long been known for but has failed miserably over the course of the last few years.
Myers, the Danville native who has been rumored as a target due to his connection to Los Angeles as a former UCLA player, has perhaps the most recently-decorated profile of all the aforementioned with three titles in the last four seasons, along with two Executive of the Year awards (2015, 2017)
Yet there is no indication that Warriors ownership would be willing to let him go, even if Buss throws everything but the kitchen sink at him. Word has it Buss' previous president, Magic Johnson, was making $10 million per year — likely more than twice what Myers makes today.
Other candidates like Presti and Olshey are picture-perfect fits for small-market teams, while Buford has very little to gain by joining an organization that still lacks formational congruence and semblance of stability.
Yet Buss has the good standing with other organizations to be able to feel out these candidates and see if anyone has interest in this project — one that will take more than LeBron, rinse, repeat — to actually reap some fruits.
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