Lakers Send Magic Johnson Message Amid NBA Season

Even after stepping away from his formal role, Johnson has remained closely connected to the organization and its leadership.

When Mark Walter acquired the Lakers in a historic $10 billion deal, speculation quickly followed that Johnson, a Dodgers co-owner and founding member of Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball Management, could assume a more prominent day-to-day role within the franchise. Given his longstanding ties to both the Lakers and Walter, many believed he might have direct influence under the new ownership structure.

However, Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen made clear that won’t be the case. Speaking to reporters, Rosen said that while Johnson remains deeply connected to the franchise, he will not have day-to-day involvement with basketball decisions or roster management.

 “Earvin’s involved with all types of things,” Rosen said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “He owns football teams, baseball teams, soccer teams, insurance companies, a lot of things. He’s always gonna have some type of involvement with all the teams, but he is not gonna have a day-to-day involvement. It’s gonna be no different since he left the Lakers. Obviously he’s a huge fan of the Lakers, but he’s not gonna be, ‘Hey Rob go sign this player. Do that.’ He’ll always be involved with all the teams that he’s involved in, but no, he’s not gonna have day-to-day involvement at all.”

Johnson abruptly resigned as Lakers’ president in April 2019 before informing team governor Jeanie Buss, citing frustrations within the organization. He also had a public feud with general manager Rob Pelinka, though the two have since repaired their differences.

While he remains an iconic figure in Lakers history and a trusted voice within ownership circles, the latest update makes clear that Johnson will not be involved in the team’s daily basketball decisions. Those responsibilities will continue to rest with Pelinka and the current front office as the franchise moves forward under Walter’s leadership.