Much was made in Los Angeles this week of Magic Johnson announcing that, if his Lakers don’t land any stars either this summer or next, he plans to move on from running the franchise.
But rather than focusing on Johnson’s self-imposed ultimatum, perhaps it is more instructive to think about the first part: that it’s going to be a “two-summer thing” for the Lakers.
It was a notable statement for a team with the salary cap flexibility to sign two max free agents this summer, and the latest sign that this summer could end the same as the Lakers’ past few: Shut out from landing the league’s biggest stars.