When Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss implemented sweeping changes in the front office by firing her brother, Jim, and longtime general manager, Mitch Kupchak, it was with the intention of restoring the franchise back to its previous heights.
That responsibility ultimately fell to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, who crafted a plan to clear salary cap space for 2018 NBA Free Agency. That of course aligned with LeBron James reaching the open market, and the Lakers’ strategy paid off.
With James in the fold and still a wealth of cap space, the Lakers maintained flexibility to pursue trade scenarios that would possibly surface and/or free agency in 2019.