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Los Angeles Lakers: The worst moves of Magic Johnson’s tenure

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Magic Johnson reacts as he speaks to the press resigning as Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on April 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) 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.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Magic Johnson reacts as he speaks to the press resigning as Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on April 09, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) 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. /
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(Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. Letting Julius Randle walk

Once again we are addressing the Los Angeles Lakers allowing a big man to walk away and this time it is the most frustrating of all, Julius Randle.

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You might be surprised that the number one thing on this list is not trading for Anthony Davis. However, that trade was already going to be so hard to pull off and while it made the team look like a mess, which is only further reiterated by Johnson leaving, it is not one of his worst moves.

We will circle back to that as we are talking about Davis’ teammate from this season. The Lakers letting Randle walk was not only so dumbfounded in hindsight but was exceptionally bad in the moment, which was all made worse by his contract.

Like Lopez, it was believed that the Lakers would be parting ways with Randle as he seemed to be due for a decent payday. Randle looked like a legitimate all-star in the second half of the 2017 season and with the way NBA contracts work, it seemed like he was due for at least $50 million.

That was not the case at all as Randle signed just a two-year, $17.7 million contract with a player option after this season. What makes this worse, unlike the Lopez contract, is that the Lakers had the right to match any offer Randle agreed to as a restricted free agent.

The positive spin was that the team was saving money for a second superstar but that just does not hold up. Two years is not a long-term contract, especially for less than $9 million on average per year.

If he opted out of his player option then the team would have just had the salary cap space anyways. If not, the team could have easily shaved the payroll to bring in a star.

Next. Where each expiring Laker should sign. dark

Randle was already playing like a star and if the team had plans of trading for Anthony Davis then they did not even need that salary cap space. Magic easily could have agreed to this contract over signing Rajon Rondo to a one-year, $9 million deal.

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