The Lakers had made deals for DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield

On By Littum

Many people consider Magic Johnson’s short tenure as Los Angeles Lakers‘ president of basketball operations from 2017 to 2019 to be a disappointment, if not a failure. Don’t forget he had LeBron James arrive as a free agent – he made some questionable or bad moves during that time in many people’s minds.

One bad move he made was the decision to take Lonzo Ball with the no. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft instead of Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum or Sacramento Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox. Johnson recently said he did it because the Lakers had an abundance of forwards and Tatum’s agent didn’t even want him to work out for the Lakers, but that agent dismissed some of that story.

Late last week, Johnson went on Fox Sports 1’s “Speak” and said the team had reached deals for both DeMar DeRozan and Buddy Hield. He said this in response to a question from former NFL star wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson about whether DeRozan is a player who could have helped LA, and while he didn’t specify what year those deals were in place, the team led reportedly. to get both in the summer of 2021.

Via Fox Sports:

“They got traded — (Kyle) Kuzma for DeMar,” Johnson said.

“And then we had to get Buddy Hield,” Johnson continued. “That was all we had to do.”

DeRozan would have given the Lakers a legitimate third scorer at the wing spot who could also facilitate and maybe even bring the ball upfield. Hield, meanwhile, would have provided them with the type of lethal 3-point sniper they haven’t had.

Everyone knows what happens instead. The Lakers traded Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and a first-round draft pick for Russell Westbrook, apparently at the behest of James. While Westbrook wasn’t exactly a bad player during his season and a half with them, he never fit in, and they gave up a king’s ransom to get a player who didn’t do much positive.

The 2021 offseason was a sliding door moment for the franchise, crippling itself for years afterward instead of setting itself up for its second NBA title of the James/Anthony Davis era.