The Los Angeles Lakers are in all sorts of uncertainty right now, especially after Magic Johnson stepped down as the franchise's President of Basketball Operations. There are a lot of questions surrounding the Purple and Gold's immediate future, and team owner Jeanie Buss and the rest of her staff will need to provide answers as soon as possible.
Aside from Johnson's resignation, current head coach Luke Walton is expected to be fired within the next 24 hours. He and his staff were already informed about this decision before the Lakers' season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers.
So, there are three things that the Lakers management will need to address within the next couple of months; aside from their goal of signing another top-tier free agent, they are also facing a tall task of finding a new Basketball Ops President and a new head coach. Los Angeles is in a win-now situation, because their lone star, LeBron James is not getting any younger. The Lakers' brass will need to make decisions solely based on maximizing what is left of the four-time MVP's contract, but they have limited options. In order for the franchise to achieve immediate success, they will need people who are experienced enough not only in winning but also in handling a polarizing player like LeBron.
Fortunately for the Lakers, there are a couple of individuals who fit in that category, and they are currently available. Who are they? Well, they are some of the executives that LeBron has worked with when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
I see you're raising your eyebrows already, but yes, the Lakers might want to consider reuniting James with some of his friends back in Cleveland if they want to win as soon as possible. But how can the Lakers make it happen? Well, there are four moves they should make.
1. Sign David Griffin as the next President of Basketball Operations
Magic is gone, and the Lakers will need someone with a lot of experience and commitment to replace him. Griffin checks both those boxes. He was the General Manager of the Cavaliers when they were still dominating the Eastern Conference. He has a good standing relationship with LeBron and he definitely knows what he will be doing once the position is offered to him. Griffin chose not to re-sign with the Cavs back in 2017 because of salary disputes, so he will most likely ask the Lakers for a hefty paycheck in order to jumpstart the turnaround of the franchise.
LeBron will be more comfortable with sharing his ideas to Griffin regarding how the team should be built, from coaches to players and everything in between. And unlike Johnson, Griffin will be fully committed to the franchise because he has very little ventures outside of the NBA. There is no word out there yet, but he should definitely be on the shortlist of candidates for Magic's replacement.
2. Sign Tyronn Lue as the next head coach
Okay, so Luke Walton is expected to be fired, and the Lakers will need someone who will call the shots for the team that they will be bringing in next season. The roster will once again be centered on LeBron, meaning the next coach should be capable of dealing with his behavior, especially his tantrums.
Enter former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, who according to reports, is one of the front-runners to replace Walton once he gets fired. Lue had the chance to coach LeBron for a couple of years and was the man at the sidelines when Cleveland made that historic championship run back in 2016. He's a proven winner and he knows how to handle James both on and off the court. He will surely get his hands full when you add the bright lights of Los Angeles, but Ty should be used to it. After all, he was part of the Lakers' 2001 championship team.
There are reports that although Lue would love the opportunity to coach LeBron and the Lakers, he wants a big paycheck because of the stress that both entities bring to the table. Whether or not Buss will be willing to give in to his demands remains to be seen, but Lue should get a significant amount of consideration for that Lakers head coaching gig.
3. Bring in James Jones as General Manager
Remember that meme about LeBron always making it to the NBA Finals because of Jones? Well, he might bring that luck to Los Angeles if he becomes the Lakers' next GM. JJ is currently the interim co-GM of the Phoenix Suns, and he will most likely look for a full-time job this summer. Although he's already stated that he has no plans of leaving the Suns, a reunion with LeBron is something that might be hard to resist for him.
Yes, yes. The Lakers still have Rob Pelinka as their current GM, and unless he steps down or gets fired, he will continue to hold that post. But let's say that he decides to resign as well? Then that's a window of opportunity for Jones. Sure, he hasn't done anything worthy with the Suns aside from drafting DeAndre Ayton (which was expected), but given enough time to assess the Lakers' situation, Jones should have an idea on what needs to be done this summer. After all, the Lakers made it known that they have one major goal this offseason; to sign a top-tier free agent.
4. Convince Kyrie Irving to join the Lakers
For the sake of argument, let's say the Lakers were successful in bringing in both Griffin and Lue. Whether or not Pelinka is the GM, the team should go after All-Star guard Kyrie Irving this summer.
Kyrie was LeBron's running-mate in that Cavaliers team that won the championship three years ago, and it would be great for the Lakers if they can reunite those two great players in LA. Although Irving requested a trade from the Cavs back in 2016 to lead his own team and to get away from James, he also admitted that he was wrong for doing that. Kyrie already apologized to LeBron and it looks like both are already in good terms.
However, convincing Uncle Drew to don a Laker jersey might be easier said than done. After all, he's in a better situation right now with the Boston Celtics. He can also sign with the New York Knicks and team up with a younger Kevin Durant. The longevity of success is better in both teams compared to the Lakers at the moment.
But if the Lakers will be able to sign Kyrie, then they will become an instant championship contender.
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The Lakers just missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season and are once again looking to address their needs this summer. The window of opportunity for LeBron to win a title is slowly closing, and if the Purple and Gold won't be able to do something to maximize whatever is left of James' greatness, this could turn out as one of the worst stretches in the franchise's history.
So they should consider a quick-fix and give James some of the members of his previous cavalry. He won with them before, it's not a long shot for him to win with them again.
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