Magic Johnson may have unknowingly delivered the Lakers one last parting shot.
Even after suddenly stepping down as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations in April, Johnson made it public knowledge in June that he had spoken to Kawhi Leonard and his trusted confidant and uncle, Dennis Robertson, about the Lakers. That went against Leonard’s wishes to keep all information about his free-agent meetings out of the public eye and may have hurt the Lakers’ chances of landing the NBA Finals MVP, who eventually chose the Clippers.
“I truly believe that when Magic started telling the media about the meeting he had with Kawhi and Dennis, that sealed the fate of the Lakers,” a person involved in Leonard’s free agency process told The Athletic. “I think that right there was when Dennis and Kawhi decided we can’t trust the Lakers as an organization. And that was it. I think that was it for them.”
Johnson had told the LA Times about his phone call with Leonard and Robertson, while also informing ESPN that a friend of his called and said Leonard wanted to meet with him.
“I said no problem. I’m available if that’s what this man wants,” Johnson told ESPN in late June. “But I got a great life. I’m not trying to mess with anybody’s job.”
Those left in the Lakers’ front office might disagree with that assessment. Other than Johnson’s updates, there was not much else that leaked from Leonard’s week of meetings and decision-making.
While media and fans tracked private planes that may have been flying Leonard to his meeting with the Raptors in Toronto, there was mostly radio silence from those involved, trying to gain Leonard’s trust.
“If you f–k this up, you’re done, you’re out,” a front-office executive involved in the process told The Athletic. “They didn’t say that, but that was the message. It was basically, ‘Look, we would appreciate discretion.’ Which means, ‘Keep your f–king mouth shut.’”
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