The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a history of catering to its superstar players, and in some cases, even involving them directly in team-building discussions.
The late Dr. Jerry Buss used to consult Magic Johnson on personnel decisions. For example, when the Lakers' front office was thinking about trading for David Thompson, they asked Magic what he thought, and when Magic didn't like the idea, the Lakers stayed away from the move.
Buss also famously sided with Magic during the Paul Westhead debacle in 1981. When Johnson clashed with Westhead (the Lakers' head coach at the time) and requested a trade, Buss fired Westhead within 24 hours and replaced him with Pat Riley.
Kobe Bryant used to put pressure on the Lakers' front office to stay competitive
The Kobe Era in LA was a bit different. Bryant wasn't consulted directly (to public knowledge) in the way that Magic had been, but he still had a way of putting immense pressure on the front office to deliver the goods. When Kobe floated a trade demand in 2007 because the Lakers hadn't been contending for years, LA's front office upped its game and went out and got Paul Gasol. Kobe's influence with the Lakers' brass extended beyond his playing days and would've surely continued on into the present day had he not passed away.
The LeBron Era has, once again, been different than the past. LeBron is a completely different personality than Kobe, and it's also apparent that the Lakers haven't engaged directly with Bron on personnel decisions in the way that Buss did with Magic.
That being said, there was the whole drafting Bronny thing! The Lakers were obviously catering to LeBron with that move, which can be compared to how LA's front office, at times, attempted to cater to Kobe by upgrading the roster.
The Luka Doncic Era has brought with it some front-office perks for the Don
Now we are in the Luka Era! And it sounds like the Lakers are taking the Magic approach with Luka.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Luka and general manager Rob Pelinka have had an open line of communication regarding personnel decisions.
"Rob Pelinka says the Lakers are in "constant communication" with Luka Doncic and calls him an "incredible partner" when discussing team building preferences," McMenamin wrote recently.
Is this a good move for the Lakers, or might it backfire if they give Luka too much control and his roles within the organization (as both player and "assistant GM") begin to clash? Time will tell, but it's clear that Luka has already made an impression on Pelinka as a team-building mind. And with the Lakers entering a hugely important offseason, Pelinka might be calling up Luka many a night this summer to hear his thoughts on an imminent move.
Put it this way, the Lakers had the most iconic stretch in franchise history with Magic running point (and providing input to the front office). If that's the template for this situation with Luka, it sounds like a smart move, even if there's some risk involved.
Add us as a preferred source on Google