Less than one week before 2018 NBA free agency began, Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson made a jarring promise. Aware of the expectations the Lakers faced this summer and next, Johnson said he would step down instead of Jeanie Buss needing to fire him, if he failed to sign at least one marquee free agent.
The Lakers had of course been down that path before. In April 2014, Jim Buss, then in charge of the team’s front office, said he would re-sign if the Lakers were not a championship contender within four years.