Lakers News: Magic Johnson Says There's 'No Pressure' to Bring Stars to LAL
Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson said Tuesday that he is feeling "no pressure" to bring stars to L.A. via free agency or trade.
According to Bill Oram of The Athletic, Johnson added, "You know how many finals I've been in? So you think I'm worried about this? I played against Larry Bird in the Finals. I played in nine Finals."
The Lakers are set to enter free agency in an advantageous position, as they have the cap space needed to add two star players.
The Lakers are considered a potential landing spot for LeBron James should he opt out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers by Friday's deadline.
OddsShark tweeted last week that the Lakers are a heavy favorite to sign James at 4-13, while the Cavs are a distant second at 13-4.
L.A. could also be in the mix for Oklahoma City Thunder forward and Southern California native Paul George.
It has long been rumored that George would like to play for the Lakers, including a report by Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News last year in which he wrote that George "never made his long-term intentions a secret within the [Indiana] Pacers locker room" with regard to wanting to join the Lakers.
Johnson is confident enough in the Lakers' position in free agency that he was willing to lay his job on the line, per Allen Sliwa of ESPN Los Angeles:
It has also been reported that San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard would like to be traded to the Lakers, however, a source told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that the Spurs rebuffed overtures made by L.A.
The Lakers are coming off a 35-47 season, which was a nine-game improvement from 2016-17. They haven't reached the playoffs since 2012-13, but things are looking up.
Los Angeles boasts several talented, young players, including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma.
The Lakers could also potentially retain power forward Julius Randle, who is a restricted free agent on the heels of a career year in 2017-18.
Although the Lakers are trending in the right direction with or without the addition of some superstars, there is no denying that there is an expectation among the media and their fans that they will make a significant splash in free agency this offseason.
