Report: Los Angeles Lakers will not hire replacement for Magic Johnson
After abruptly losing Magic Johnson last month, the Los Angeles Lakers are not planning to hire a replacement.
The Lakers will not hire a new president of basketball operations, and instead will keep general manager Rob Pelinka in his role while reporting directly to team owner Jeanie Buss, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Pelinka reported to Johnson last season.
Buss had considered replacing Johnson and hiring a new president, among other options, according to Shelburne, though eventually landed on sticking with Pelinka. The longtime agent was hired by the Lakers in 2017.
Johnson shockingly stepped down as the Lakers president in April, calling a media conference less than two hours before the team’s regular-season finale at Staples Center. He didn’t tell Buss about his decision ahead of time, either. Just days later, the Lakers fired coach Luke Walton after a season full of turmoil that resulted in LeBron James missing the postseason for the first time since 2005.
The Lakers hired Frank Vogel to replace Walton and added Jason Kidd as a “prominent assistant” last week, reaching a three-year deal with the former Indiana Pacers coach and finally ending what appeared to be a rough coaching search.
Kurt Rambis, who reportedly played a big role in the coaching search, will continue to be a special advisor, according to the report.
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