The Los Angeles Lakers have and always will be a franchise driven by superstars, and one of the best to don the Purple and Gold has already started laying the groundwork to try and get another future Hall of Famer to consider joining the franchise.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson is no longer part of the franchise's front office after a brief stint calling the shots alongside Rob Pelinka. That isn't stopping him from encouraging some of the best in the game today to follow in his footsteps and bring another Larry O'Brien Trophy to Southern California.
While the likelihood of this scenario playing out seems rather slim, the Lakers legend used the league's announcement of the annual Magic Johnson Award winner to plead with Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant to finish out his storied career in Los Angeles.
Johnson is a part-owner of the NFL's Washington Commanders, the franchise Durant has been a fan of for quite some time, so there is a relationship between the two. Using Magic's tweet as evidence, it doesn't seem like Johnson believes that his attempt to sway Durant will be successful.
Durant's decision to join the Phoenix Suns has not gone to plan. The franchise is heading in the wrong direction and missed the postseason this past year. The former MVP may not be long for the Valley of the Sun, but seeing him move from Phoenix to Los Angeles would be an absolute coup for the Purple and Gold.
There are plenty of hurdles that would need to be cleared and questions to be answered before the Lakers could even consider pursuing Durant. For as great of a scorer as he is, Durant is quickly approaching his late 30s and, quite frankly, doesn't have the type of physical build as LeBron James, making him more prone to injuries as he ages.
Regardless of those facts, Magic Johnson is trying his best to use his sway to convince Durant to at least consider the possibility.