2. Magic’s Objectives This Season
Once Magic and Rob understood that James wasn’t giving the Lakers a mandate to do everything possible to win a title this year, they could establish other priorities.
First and foremost, they could avoid breaking up the young core to acquire a second All-Star like Kawhi Leonard. As great a player as Leonard is, San Antonio’s purported demands for him in trade were ludicrous. Kudos to Magic for staying the course and not making a lopsided deal.
Magic and Rob realize that one of the important keys to the Lakers future is developing the potential of the young Lakers, preferably sooner than later. So the strategy they embraced was to surround them with hard-nosed, physical veterans. At the very least, those well-seasoned pros should challenge the youngsters during practices- just as Michael Cooper contested Magic during the Showtime era.
Yet fans and media alike have questioned why the Lakers signed such volatile, combustible characters as Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Javale McGee and Michael Beasley.
Johnson is counting on James and himself to keep those players in line. Also, Coach Luke Walton has shown that he can get along with all kinds of personalities. But there’s an inherent danger that any of them might explode if/when he’s not playing enough or isn’t being used in the way he feels he should.
Partially to mitigate that risk, all of them were signed to just one-year contracts. If any one of them creates trouble, not only could the Lakers try to trade him, but they could even release him without incurring severe financial hardship.
Since none of them has any financial security beyond this season, Magic hopes they will be on their best behavior. He also wants them to help mentor the younger players. In particular, Rondo is being counted on to guide Ball. Time will tell how well that works.
The big challenge for Walton is to dole out playing time- not just for the young core four and the veteran one-year free agents, but also for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ivica Zubac and promising rookies Mo Wagner and Svi Mykhailiuk. Counting James, that’s 13 bodies. Luke will his hands full determining which will fit best into a regular 9 or 10-man rotation.
In any event, Magic achieved his goal of filling out a competitive roster, so we’ll see how well it works.