Lakers Front Office Under Major Pressure to Upgrade Roster During 2015 Offseason

The Los Angeles Lakers are in desperate need of a major roster upgrade. But with the February 19 trade deadline looming, the front office has yet to pull the trigger on a single swap.

Management may simply be biding its time until the 2015 offseason. Or it may have a last-minute trick up its sleeve.

In the interim, the purple and gold franchise continues to plummet at 13-40—on track for the worst season in its proud 67-year history.

With 29 games left to play, the Lakers are just 15 losses away from last season’s abysmal record of 27-55.

And as the pressure mounts, so does the rhetoric. One of the organization’s most famous and visible alumni stepped into the spotlight Tuesday and ripped Lakers Executive Vice President Jim Buss.

Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Magic Johnson accused Buss of "trying to do it himself" rather than empowering general manager Mitch Kupchak.

"If Jim would say, 'OK, Mitch, you run the show,' I think it would be better for the Lakers too," said Johnson. "Mitch Kupchak knows what he's doing. He’s great. He’s smart. He’s hard-working. He’s at every practice."

The implication, of course, is that the notoriously reclusive Buss is not a regular presence at Lakers facilities yet is the one ultimately responsible for the major basketball decision-making.

The awareness of drumbeats of discontent seems to be growing within the Lakers' inner sanctum, and it has manifested itself in self-ultimatums. 

Last season, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, Buss pledged to his siblings that he would step down if the franchise was not contending for a Western Conference title in a few years.

More recently, Jim and his sister Jeanie Buss, president of the Lakers organization, were interviewed by Ramona Shelburne for ESPN The Magazine.

When asked for her reaction to Jim's promise, Jeanie responded, "There's no reason to worry because he feels confident that he'll be successful. So really, there's no reason to announce a timeline. But I think that, just like any business, if you're not meeting your expectations in an organization, you should expect a change."

For now, expectations remain unmet as Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle—representing faces of past and perhaps future glories—watch from the sideline.

Bryant is recuperating from shoulder surgery, and lottery pick Randle is recovering from a broken leg suffered in his NBA debut.

Still, the work on the floor continues as Lakers coach Byron Scott increases the minutes and opportunities for young developing prospects such as rookies Jordan Clarkson and Tarik Black and sophomore Ryan Kelly. The hope is to cultivate affordable building blocks.

The larger hope for improvement, however, lies with the team’s current GM—the man Johnson would cede more power to if the choice was his to make.

Kupchak's career with the Lakers goes back more than 30 years to his Showtime playing days. He was subsequently groomed for the front office by Jerry West and has been the point man on a number of memorable transactions since then—some successful and others less so.

Those include the acquisition of Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies, the three-team trade to nab Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets (voided by then-NBA Commissioner David Stern), and two separate but intrinsically linked deals to obtain Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic and Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns.

But now the Lakers find themselves rebuilding once again, with Bryant as the sole reminder of an earlier era.  

As for the enticement of coming to Los Angeles, the celebrated banners and trophies are only symbols of better times and can't compete with the strength of teams that are winning in the here and now.

In the absence of any deadline trade, management will ride the losing season out in hopes of retaining the top-five protected draft pick the Lakers would otherwise owe to the Suns.

In that case, they would add another embryonic talent to an already young squad and look to free agency in order to sign more proven commodities to pair with Bryant as he heads into his 20th NBA season.

And in case the front office has thoughts of postponing major moves until after No. 24 retires, Johnson offered further advice, this time on The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM Radio, saying, "I really believe this: He [Kobe] should...say to Jim and them, 'Look, if you don't sign one of these free agents, man, I'm just not going to play next season.'"

Ultimately, the front office will have enough salary-cap space to sign at least one high-level free agent this summer, with names such as Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol, Rajon Rondo and Goran Dragic in the offing.

But it's not only free agents Kupchak will seek out—the consummate inside man doesn't telegraph his moves in public and has shown the ability to put together complex trade packages.

For a team that has fallen from the top of the mountain to the depths of mediocrity, much is at stake.

Whether it's Jim Buss fulfilling the trust vested in him by his late father, Dr. Jerry Buss, or Kupchak quietly doing his job and deflecting credit, this dismal Lakers roster needs major upgrading.

One way or another, change will come to Lakerland. Until then, the pressure will continue to build.