Fansided

5 offseason needs for the Los Angeles Lakers

By Luke Norris

LOS ANGELES - APRIL 1: A detailed shot of the Los Angeles Lakers logo taken during the game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on April 1, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 93-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - APRIL 1: A detailed shot of the Los Angeles Lakers logo taken during the game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on April 1, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 93-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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5. Figure out the front office

It’s no secret that the front office situation for the Lakers is a bit of a mess right now. Magic Johnson’s sudden decision to step down as President of Basketball Operations just hours before the team’s season finale against the Portland Trailblazers shocked quite a few people, including LeBron James.

Magic was one of the key reasons that LeBron decided to come to Los Angeles in the first place and James recently stated that he was surprised by the move, especially since he and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka had just had a meeting with Johnson a few days before the resignation and were given no clues that the move was coming. That’s not a good sign.

With Magic gone, there are many calling for Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss to move on from Pelinka and move assistant GM Jesse Buss (the youngest of the Buss siblings) into the role. But if that were going to happen, that probably would have been done by now. Perhaps the franchise doesn’t want to upset Kobe by firing his former agent but the pressure of making this team competitive now falls on Pelinka’s shoulders.

While keeping Pelinka on may not be a popular move, it has to be one that Jeanie Buss can live with if the team doesn’t improve this offseason. Senior basketball adviser and former Lakers head coach Kurt Rambis has been helping in some aspects but that may not be enough. Pelinka has only been in this role for a little more than two years and some of the deals that he and Johnson made have already been questioned at length. Should one of the most important summers in recent memory for this team be left to someone who may not be able to get things done? This is a big longshot but a call to Jerry West might not be a bad idea.

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